


Crawl

by DarkWriter00



Category: Death Note
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Extra Plot Device, Gen, Horror, Intense Plot, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-11-05
Packaged: 2017-12-28 20:38:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 43,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkWriter00/pseuds/DarkWriter00
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(This is an exploration of a different storyline that doesn't happen in my other fic, Collide.)</p>
<p>A notebook of death falls from the sky and hits the ground on the front lawn of Light Yagami's high school. Something that resembles no ordinary cell phone appears on the desk of his bedroom. </p>
<p>A young woman shows up from out of nowhere who Light catches in the act trying to run away with the notebook of death, in his house. Not only does she know all about the Death Note. She knows a lot about him as well.</p>
<p>Are they all connected? Could the gods just be messing with him, or is there something more to it...?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This scenario idea just wouldn't leave my brain... A certain song I found by the band Red, called "Watch You Crawl" has now set the plot in stone. (That is the theme for this, or rather the main theme. Bits of the lyrics of this is what I'll put into the beginning of the first chapter and a number of chapters to come, because it so fits to what will go on between Mari and Kira-Light!) The other reason that made me decide to actually write this, has been of "God of the Machine" by The Carnivorous Muffin at fanfiction.net—I really do love the initial intense concept, and I've read it twice!
> 
> I'm not at all abandoning Collide, by the way! I still have high hopes and a lot in mind for that story. I also love my AU Light muse still, quite a lot. I want to keep writing in his POV, his thoughts, reactions, and concerns about Sim at what she does for him, and how differently he'd be around Ryuk. (AU has helped her get to a hospital in the beginning of Collide. That is not something one could ever ignore and not feel grateful for! In return, she of course intends to save him, herself, and many others by preventing the Kira craze from happening... For those who aren't sure what I'm talking about, I suggest reading at LEAST the first two chapters. I'm not going to really give away any details about it.) 
> 
> I won't be updating this as much as I do with Collide though.

_-You put my back against the wall; watching, waiting...-_

* * *

...I have no idea what the hell the purpose of this device is.

_Huh?_ I can read my own thoughts with this thing?

This is one weird cell phone, if one could call it that... but there's no way to call anyone on it. It's crazy enough that my _so very messed up in the HEAD_ captor let me hang onto this.

This can pick up on my exact THOUGHTS too! _Shit_ , that's so weird, and crazy... The way this text shows up, it's almost like the way I'd update my _blog_.

At least it's not making any noise as I'm- _ **what the HELL**_? _I can't BLOCK certain thoughts from showing up on this thing?_! _Erase!_ _ **ERASE**_ _!_

_Shit,_ I can't mentally erase any of this?! This is bad, REALLY BAD, considering the TROUBLE I'm in...

To whoever it is that designed this for me, I just found out I can do all the telepathy text all I want-but who is all of this going to? _You_?! I don't know if there is any sender at _all_!

I hope you're fucking _happy_. You're _sick._ _**YOU**_ _captured me somehow, and placed me in his_ _ **ROOM**_! _THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT_! Could you really be some kind of other GOD as he says, apart from the _Shinigami_?!

You can't be any saner than Light, because of what happened. _**ARE YOU ON HIS SIDE, AND NOT MINE? IS THAT IT?!**_ _Oh god..._

WHY couldn't I just-?! He's way off-his-meds _CRAZY_! He's gone insane so fast, in under _FIVE DAYS_! Ryuk hasn't even _appeared_ yet! Light caught me, and now...

What if he FINDS all this text?!

What's the _POINT of this thing anyway_?! So what, Light will be able to know my thoughts... meaning I wouldn't be able to hide anything from him?! No, I can't let him KNOW out about this, if I'm to _survive._

No. If I try to hide that... He'd probably _**make**_ me hold this thing whenever I'd refuse to talk—but then again I could just think up _nonsense_. But wouldn't that ALSO make him very angry?!

You know WHAT, Mr. Entity of Telepathic Hi-Tech?! Will you spare me a moment of your time and let me know why the fuck I'm here, before I _lose_ it?! I've pissed Light off so much already, and I don't want to give him any clear _incentive_ , in his term, to kill me...

_Damn me and my_ _ **big**_ _ **mouth**_. I just had to go there... I _**HATE**_ the idea of _cowering_ and giving in to him though! I wouldn't know how to live with myself, if I ever develop something similar to _Stockholm's_ around the bastard.

It's because of the both of you that sleep won't _**come**_! That's not happening. I'm sure _Light_ won't be sleeping very well either.

I know how he thinks, at least... This is also of course _bad_ since he sees me as a really dangerous threat. I guess I am, and I'm locked in one _seriously bad_ — _DAMN HIM!_

_**I should have blocked his damn door.**_ Why didn't I make extra time to DO THAT?! Because I was so _AFRAID_ of _making any noise_?! I could have been able to finish what I knew I had to do, and get a running head start!

I hope he dies the way he does in the _manga_ , in front of Near, the SPK, and the task force he'll use as _puppets_! I _**won't**_ feel sorry for him, when that happens. If he _wants_ to destroy himself and _fuck everything up_ so bad... If he really _has_ to be such an _**asshole**_ to me while doing so then maybe I should just let him.

_HE. DOESN'T. FEEL._ _**ANYTHING!** _

He doesn't care about me, or anybody. Not even his _family._ Not really. If he did then he would have tried to go to Soichiro for help after writing that first name down.

_Did he ever stop and_ _ **THINK**_ _about that_?!

I told him how I felt, and _**tried**_ to get him to think about what he's doing. I thought I reached him there, for a moment _but my words don't mean much to him at all. This is so crazy. Light doesn't know what he's doing. He can't see it, it's so_ _ **scary**_ _._

_And this is all really happening. He's..._

_Why_? Why am I here then, if I can't...?

_Wait_. Breathe... If I could really succeed in helping L, and prevent him from dying... Could I manage to contact him somehow? Tell him all I _know_? Let the grim reaper tag-along write down Light's name _sooner_? What do you think of _THAT_ , Mr. Sadist Deity? He may threaten my life, but _I_ know of his _**doom.**_

Maybe you were expecting this! Maybe THAT's what you want?! I don't _know_! _How the HELL would I know_?!

You could just be laughing your ass off, from wherever you are! Whoever, whatever you _ARE_! You're probably the SAME as _RYUK_ who dropped that nasty Death Note!

Oh _shit_ , _**RYUK**_. I _touched_ the notebook, so I will be able see him, when he comes. He will laugh in my face. Mock me and pester me while fucking _Kira_ writes more names in, _murdering_ , and they both will _know_ it will bother me.

_And Ryuk might let Light know, even_ _**indirectly** _ _, about me trying to do anything behind..._

_AND_ _**MISA** _ _, SECOND KIRA. LATER ON SHE-!_

_TELL ME WHY I'M HERE_! You possibly couldn't have sent me here to _DIE_ , _**RIGHT**_?!

_Hard to breathe. Losing it. So scared_. _Chest feels tight again. I'm so scared I'm scaring myself holy shit..._

Deep breaths. _Deeeep_ breathing... Have to _calm_ _ **down**_.

Please tell me why this is _**happening**_. Please tell me now. _Please..._

* * *

The past few days, since first finding the notebook of death that had been dropped from the sky, have been intense. _Amazing_... The Death Note, to which looked like any ordinary black college notebook, was truly a force to be reckoned with. The mysterious, complicated, incredible power was the ideal way of cleaning up the world of vermin that spread violence and _filth_.

He did it. Light Yagami had just single handedly disposed of the world's most terrible criminals-without having to leave his room. Of course, that had only been the beginning. The media, the Internet and the news on the TV in his room, these things provided the faces and names he needed. Everything had been going smoothly.

Naturally, the police would start to grow suspicious and concerned about this very soon. Light was counting on it. Not that there was anything they could _do_ to stop them from dropping like flies of heart attacks, he knew but they will be concerned about that, even afraid.

_Tonight_ differed from that though... Things had become so very complicated, and irritating. _**INFURIATING**_! For once, Light thought the universe had agreed on his sentiment, that this world was so rotten, so _messy_! He felt a sense of certainty and resolve that felt so _right_. Someone, perhaps a higher power out there, had to have a shared viewpoint on the way civilization was slowly degrading and _wasting away_ on itself. Whether or not anyone really looked upon him to start fixing it, he was _glad_ to do it, one name at a time. The current world just couldn't go on. It was time to change that, and Light had a powerful instrument to use to absolve and cleanse it of evil. The transformation would be neat and orderly with no second guessing.

That should have been it. There didn't really _**need**_ to be anything or anyone else. He didn't need all this other weird shit.

The night visitor he found, the intruder dressed in red and pink sleepwear with cats all over, was so out of context and unexpected. Not only that, but she had tried to put an _**end**_ to his plans. No, he wasn't going to take his eyes off Mari Broderick (the claimed false name she gave out), and he intended to get her to tell him _**everything**_ she knew about him, and his Death Note. All he needed was time, enough time to do that _and_ how to make her go _**away**_.

There was a mystery object too. A uniquely shaped device that had been activated fifteen minutes ago-he _still_ didn't know what it was exactly. He _still_ didn't know how it had been placed on his desk, in his room. He kept his door and window locked, most especially when he wasn't there. This had been a habit long before the Death Note. No one he knew, certainly not anyone in his family, would try to get in while he was in school, or elsewhere. The only likely person he asked, just to be sure, was his younger sister Sayu. The expression and questions of confusion and disbelief, had told him otherwise.

It didn't make any sense to him how or why she would go in and leave some strange metal object, something that could have been used a prop for a science fiction show or movie Light wouldn't care about, in his room as a present. (She _would_ know that he would never take any interest in such things, he had no doubt about that...)

He initially wasn't nearly as concerned as he was now about the unusual and highly advanced _whatever_ , and had considered to have someone he knew from school examine it. He also thought of just keeping it as a paperweight, or decoration. Its design was very sleek, unlike anything Light had ever seen. The shape seemed to slightly curve out in the middle, and in towards the straight ends in a rather unusual oval. It was a similar size and appearance to a cell phone. The dark front resembled a touch tone screen, with two buttons that matched the rest of the sides and back of it. There was nothing on the buttons though, and as he tried to see if it had a slide out keyboard, he couldn't push and slide the top of it to the side.

There was nothing really decorative on this foreign, enigmatic object—except for the etching of a capital silver "V" from the English written language just above the top of the screen.

Sure, it may not have looked like any brand of phone he would not have been able to recognize-but unlike the Death Note, it didn't come with instructions. There wasn't so much as a post-it on what it did. Light tried to press the buttons or touch the screen to see if anything would happen. When nothing happened, he assumed it had to be broken...until his mysterious and uninvited _**guest**_ had shown up.

The Death Note didn't have to require someone else, that someone else in particular who had spoke a fake name to make it _light up_ and glow blue on the front. The text on the touch tone screen had saved her fake name in English print. It was designed for her to have, he had to assume. How or why this happened, none of them knew. The foreigner from whereabouts unknown right now, alias Mari Broderick, looked surprised. Then she was confused and afraid over this. For only a few moments did the terror come to her face, only to be covered up again in her transparent shell of anger and pride once again, as predicted.

Going back to sleep was not going to happen. Light needed to finish going over everything that had happened, and how he was going to explain to his family about her. In his gut, as much as he felt Mari Broderick _**had to**_ _ **die**_ , there were still those secrets she was keeping. Also, if the handheld device was to have any value, he would have her operate it and show him how to do it himself (if possible). He also had to figure out what to do if _more_ people like her would show up, and whether or not anyone else like her would happen.

In time, she _would_ reveal all her secrets to him. He had cornered her, and had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go. She knew far too much, and he intended to find out _**why**_...

Light had left his door open, and he had told her to leave the door open to the spare bedroom beside his. They both knew she had nowhere to run. She had no one to turn to for help, and he knew he had _damn well_ better keep her where he could _watch her_. She had been right about one thing; he wasn't going to give her another chance. She wasn't going to sneak by him, not _ever_ _ **again**_.

There was still the chance that she might slip, or resist enough to penetrate the boundaries of their arrangement. He knew she could be smart enough not to, if she could keep that big mouth of hers _shut_ when necessary _._ In a few hours, he would see for himself if she could hold her own around his father. If she really couldn't, then Light would have no choice but to make her disappear. No information or secrets were worth having if Mari wouldn't be able to swallow her pride and do as she was told.

As his patience and the need to keep up the Norman Rockwell appearance of an innocent courteous seventeen year old had been given a shove to their limits, Light was _trying_ not to let her get under his skin too much. He knew he had to wait, and make sure he wouldn't overlook anything, or end up looking back to something about her he may have missed. No, he couldn't have _that_ happen. He had to not miss any details. There couldn't be _any_ loose ends, for any mistake no matter how small would cost him dearly.

How Mari appeared into his house, neither of them knew, but she had very quietly moved around inside the house with the stealth and patience to _**TAKE**_ the Death Note from his upper desk drawer, then leave after unlocking the door and making sure to quietly close it behind her. That alone should have him enraged enough, but this was actually the spark in which started the heated hatred between each other.

At two in the morning, everyone in the Yagami family would be asleep in their rooms; Light in his room, Sayu in hers, and his parents in the one they both shared. The house would be all but silent, apart from the soft snoring from his mother all the way down the upstairs hall, and the walled heater vents turning on through the soft metallic tapping. Light had just opened his eyes as the smile had remained a mere minute from a blissful dream he must have had. He would have remembered its content if he hadn't been distracted by a distant, subtle noise. There was more of it to follow just after.

If he hadn't heard, he would have never noticed anything out of place. Light wouldn't have looked towards the door to see the lock in the center of the handle was horizontal, not vertical. No one else in the family had the key to unlock his door from the _outside_. He had earned himself the respective right to his privacy so long ago, and his parents never thought twice about it.

Light remembered feeling the mixture of confusion and a cold grip of panic when he noticed the lock on the handle had been turned. Impossible, he thought! There was just no way someone could have entered the room from outside, and definitely not knowing it-but it had somehow happened...

He had slipped out of his room and was careful to step over the places in the wood that creaked as he proceeded down the stairs. The kitchen light had been turned on, and the intruder's back had been turned; a cartoon of a portly female cartoon cat on the back of her red night shirt worn loosely over her pink pajama pants. She hadn't noticed him, not at all as her bare feet padded along the tiled floor as she was rifling through some counter drawers. Her thick disheveled dark curls bounced and swayed a little to her harried movements.

He distinctly remembered feeling the surge of shock and urgency when he noticed the Death Note on the center counter. She had placed his cup of pens beside it-not that this extra detail mattered. The fact that she was intending to _**steal**_ his Death Note meant she was a problem from the moment he first saw her.

Right then, Light didn't say anything at all. There were no words he could say, for this to him was just horribly wrong, _unthinkable_. Only a single thought fleeted through his mind; _She must be STOPPED!_

It wasn't until the pace of his walk quicken when the woman turned around and noticed him. The thief looked like a foreigner, not at all of Asian blood as her blue eyes widened in fear before narrowing to an fierce look in a split second, almost feral as she swept an arm over the center counter to grab for the his cup of pens. Through that glint of desperation and determination to flee, there had been a recognition of who he was. Light never met her before in his life, yet she _knew_ who he was, and because she had took the Death Note she also had to have knowledge about it not being just a notebook when Light had never spoken about it to _anyone_. He had been very firm with himself to keep it a secret, even from his father.

She hurled the cup with force towards his head. Why she chose to take his pens too, he wasn't sure on yet... He dismissed this detail for now.

_Rage_ punched right through the shock he had felt. Light used that and the adrenaline to its peak to bat the flying cup away as he rushed toward her. It had been to distract him as she grabbed the Death Note and began to run out the other entry way into the dining room. His pens went flying and scattering as he lunged for her, tackling her hard to the floor.

Mari had retaliated in an attempt of self defense to elbow Light in the chest, but she failed. He could feel one of her arms quickly moving to do so, just as he anticipated. That moment look of recognition gave it away; she wasn't going to give up without a fight. That was why Light wrapped both arms around her, pressing them to her sides as they both went down. He heard her body hit the kitchen floor when she landed on her side. Quite a bit of sharp pain went into his side too, but he landed mostly on top of her as they went down.

She yelped in pain, then let out a sharp gasp. Light quickly clamped one hand over her mouth to muffle her scream and quickly yanked the Death Note from her grasp. While she had been momentarily stunned from the pain, as he was certain she was, he took that chance to toss it aside on the floor for now. He could feel her mouth opening under his palm. She was preparing to bite him there. He clutched a firm hold of that that thick hair with his free hand to have her decide otherwise. Her limbs jerked as she twitched, then attempted to scramble and get away as he used his own body weight to pin her to the floor-as if the pain along her hip, shoulder, and arm she landed on didn't bother her when it must have. Upon witnessing this, along with how stiff and tense her muscles felt underneath him, Light knew she was really terrified of him. _Good,_ _ **very good**_. _She SHOULD be scared_!

Light clearly remembered feeling the rush of excitement climb up into his eyes as he clutched the back of her scalp tightly and pulled, sending her the demand to stop moving. Her heavy breath brushed up against his open palm he pressed it firmly to muffle her other cries. He was a hunter who had just caught a rare wild animal with his bare hands. Even though he didn't _necessarily_ want to skin her, stuff her, and mount her body on display for all to see, the initial feeling behind the intent was kindled inside like a red hot flame.

_**She had tried to steal his Death Note.**_ Her attempt to run away with it was a _very_ serious sin, something that had to be dealt with. This could _**NOT**_ happen again! If this hadn't been taking place at home... If they were far away from where his family would hear, he no doubt would have raised his voice. Resorting to inflict pain however had proved to be more worthwhile in the long run.

For the first time ever, right then, Light found himself in a situation in which he was forced to drop the facade as just a selfless ace student everyone liked. He hadn't wanted it to happen, because he didn't want anyone to ever see _or_ touch the Death Note, but the damn bitch _**HAD!**_ The thief he just caught had her fate already sealed. Her actions of this offensive _crime_ were going to lead straight to her death.

As Light still clutched at her scalp, his furious rage silently screamed at her. As he waited for _all_ of her useless squirming and struggling to come to a halt, he wondered if this what it truly felt like to see someone tremble before God.

Light started the discussion, fluently speaking in English. He wasn't sure if she knew his country's native tongue. His conversational voice had a sharp edge to it. "I must admit, I'm impressed you've managed to come this far. I have no idea how you snuck into my room, when it was _locked_ from the inside _. Without_ waking me up... I commend you even further for _coming_ all the way here without being noticed, dressed like that."

As Light could see and feel her body shaking a little from under him, the swell of victory and relief he had stopped her felt so good. The rage rode on top of it, yet he kept that in check. A _catastrophe_ had indeed almost happened, but if he allowed himself to freak out, then he would alert unwanted attention. His family was still asleep upstairs. He couldn't let either of himself nor Mari raise their voices. "We both know all of that should be impossible. So, who _are_ you? Where did you come from?"

That last question felt absurd to ask, but who was to say her attire and manner hadn't meant to make sense? What if she was sent to throw him off guard...? Light didn't have the slightest on which secret intelligence or government would pull off this sort of thing, but who else but some expert lock picker could have been successful to open the door, without waking him?

Was there back up outside, ready and waiting to break down the front door?

All this was going through his mind as moved his hand away from her mouth to let her answer him. He thought that Mari would have given him some insight as who she worked for—yet her very shrewd tone of voice delivered something he hadn't expected to hear. "Wouldn't you like to know, _Kira_. You want to write my name down? Well, _tough_ , 'cause I won't _tell you_."

_Kira_? Light at the time had no idea what to think about the name she called him-and she used it like a swear word. Somehow she knew how he killed criminals through usage of the notebook. What had he done? _What slip up did he make_? He wouldn't do any harm towards anyone he didn't know that would do no harm onto him, or innocent people. She couldn't possibly have known what he was doing, yet she did.

Light shifted and moved to turn her over to have her look at him. There was so much hate in those blue eyes. Her voice of ice was a little shaky at the seams. She was trying, and not succeeding very well, to cover it up with anger. Her round face and overall features didn't look all that threatening, but she acted so brave. Such a brave, brave fool she was. She almost amused him then, to put up such a front, a mask that would crack and shatter sooner rather than later. _Almost_. She just confirmed him on another thing he wanted to know as he stared at her. "You really do know everything about the Death Note." His gaze narrowed. " _How_?"

There was a wince of pain on her round face as she was trying to wriggle and scoot back from him. She, of course, wanted to free herself from his grip. "Let _go_."

Light ignored the threatening intent in her tone, and watched as she was no more than a worm on a hook now, hopelessly trying to escape her imminent death. He slightly smiled at that. "I think you know who I am, too. But Kira isn't my name."

"It will be the name the people call you, the people you have them believe you're the _big damn_ _ **hero**_ ," Mari seethed, "But you're not. _Yes_ , I know who you are. I know about your nasty supernatural notebook too, but I'm just as fucking clueless as you are on how and why I'm here..." She clenched both hands around his wrist to try to pry his hand away from her scalp. "Didn't you hear what I _said_? _Let._ _ **Go**_ _."_ She directed that last two words to come out a bit slower, and fiercer.

Who the hell was this woman, to speak such a way towards him? She couldn't know what she was talking about.

"You're in no position to tell me or _anyone_ what to do," Light told her, and forcibly yanked her hands away with his free hand before she could dig her fingernails into his skin. He pinned her hands down to the floor, and then applied a little ice to his own words. "It's not _lady-like_ to _take_ something that doesn't belong to you. You should know that."

Mari heavily blew air out her nose, and harshly interrupted him from saying more. "Ohhhh excuse _me_ for being paranoid and not wanting to end up _dead_ while trying to find my way back home, as soon as possible." Then she added, "I had to try _something_. Besides, I happened to be lucky as hell to notice your _Shinigami buddy_ hasn't shown up yet." Her eyes moved away from his as a tear leaked out from one of them. She choked out a bitter laugh in her defeat. "I should have blocked your door with something, but then again, I was afraid you'd overhear. Oh well. Too little, _too fucking late_."

Judging from what this woman admitted, there was no mistaking the fact she was a very serious obstacle. She may not have been a real spy, or some secret agent, but she was almost on par to apply as one to have successfully sneak out of his room. There was no underestimating her vigor to fight back, despite the fact she didn't look athletically fit. No organization or even branch of intelligence would be willing to risk one of their own like this though-most certainly not unarmed, and not dressed for the winter weather outside.

By now, he would have expected the cavalry to come storming in. There weren't any. The thief he had caught in the act was _all alone_. In that sense, he was so relieved. It would have been more than Light could really prepare himself for. He would've had to improvise and raise his voice to wake up his parents. It would have caused so much more stress and problems as he would've had to take the Death Note and run as his mother and father would be hurrying down the stairs. Light maybe would have taken her as his hostage while he was at it.

Luckily, this wasn't the case.

The lone trouble-maker here was going to answer to him. Light figured that once he'd wring out all that he wanted to know from her, within at least a _small_ frame of time he needed, he would end her. Right now, he was starting to feel angry and impatient. "Just what the hell is all of _**that**_ supposed to mean?"

He could not blame her for being so furious at him though. He knew he didn't like having to do this either, but she _had_ to disappear.

One would think she'd attempt to be a little nicer, to try and weasel her way from the inevitable. By now, Light realized that wouldn't be something to expect. People reacted in all sorts of ways when afraid. Being rude and trying to threaten him with harsh words was probably just Mari's way of fearing the judgment he had been contemplating of passing onto her. She also seemed too proud for her own good to allow herself to completely surrender to him.

Light glared as she spoke her confession, if that's what it really was. He remembered reading about the Shinigami from the Death Note's rules... This next question he knew he had to demand. He would forever be curious in not knowing if he chose not to. "What were you trying to do, use the Death Note for _yourself_? _What_ were you looking for in the kitchen drawers?" The very concept of her using the notebook had him riled him up. It disgusted him, the disgust in which he had let out for her to hear. No one but himself could handle its power, its burden.

The power was for _**him**_ to find. It was his _DESTINY_! _His, and his_ _ **ALONE**_! No one else would be able to handle the notebook. _Only he would_!

Did she seriously believe she could have made _BETTER_ use of it?! At that time, Light had been quick to assume she wanted the notebook for herself.

Mari glared back, defiant. The ferocity in her eyes and voice didn't die down, not completely. She was just waiting for the right opportune moment to strike. "Why bother to _ask_? I won't be able to do anything anyway."

Light's patience was wearing thinner, faster than he had been aware of. In observation of her behavior and how difficult she intended to be, it was causing his own mind to race. The gears in the clockwork of his consciousness were spinning so frantically. They couldn't be down here forever. His father was going to wake up in a few hours. Light could picture the scenario flashing through his mind; his father noticing the pens, cup, and Death Note on the kitchen floor, then looking in alarm at Light drilling Mari with his questions as he'd still hold a fistful of her hair in one hand...

If she knew about him, then so was a possibility of her knowing about his family too. _She knows too much. I can't let her go free to_ _ **tell anyone**_ _!_

With precision and no warning, Light firmly tugged her hair, and gripped one of her wrists tightly. "I _**know**_ you won't." He applied a little more ice into his impatience. "There must be a _lot_ you don't want to tell me. I may not be able to get your name, but if I really _must_ , I _**will**_ kill you by any other means necessary. If you continue to be _difficult_ , then I'll have no choice."

He thought he saw a sneer flicker in her judging, angry eyes. One more hiss of a remark came. "I know you haven't been killing for very long. You think it's so _swell_ without getting any blood on your hands. So easy and clean. But with me, it's-"

Never in his life did he want to hurt a girl before. _Tonight_ was proving to be exceptional. Mari had been nothing but a _bitch_ to him anyway! She wielded a big foul mouth for someone who claimed to be paranoid, and how she knew _that information_ without him knowing was freaking him out. The gears were spinning so fast. He hadn't known anything about her then, but she knew _**how long**_ he had been writing names into the Death Note. _What_ _ **else**_ _did she know about him_?!

Light had come close to shouting, his mouth opening... _NO_ , he wasn't going to let her provoke him like that! He wasn't going to let that scenario with Dad happen.

In the equivalent of how loud Light could have been, he pulled hard to prevent her from finishing that spiteful sentence. Her mouth opened to a silent scream. He pressed down just as hard on her hands while he still had her pinned to the floor. He couldn't lose to this arrogantly rude _**menace**_ , and _could not give up on what he had just started_! "Your scare tactics _won't work_. Do you honestly think I can't kill you without the notebook?" He pulled and brought her face close to his, to direct his all rage right at her. " _Should we_ _**find**_ _ **out**_?"

At that point he thought, _maybe_ he should just put her out of her misery _**right now**_. This was getting to be too much, _too fast_. _Because_ Mari knew a lot she really shouldn't, he knew that she had to _GO_! He didn't find all that much enjoyment in hurting and tormenting a person like this, especially when under pressure. He knew he was inexperienced, but she just had to be such a horrid little _**bitch...**_

This woman was really _dangerous_ , a lethal threat to Light's ambitions. She wasn't going to tell him anything; only continue to glare and use her secrets as a weapon to make him snap, and get caught. How was he going to silence her, _without_ getting caught?! The clockwork of his mind started _reeling_ in stress, desperate to latch onto the first option that came up.

A most hectic image revealed itself; him dragging her out in the cold, Mari kicking and screaming, _fighting_ _viciously_ with all she has to stop him from striking a killing blow with a knife, shears, or something _else_ sharp from the kitchen.

_No, she'd get much too_ _**loud** _ _. Someone might overhear and run over to the rescue-and then I would have to kill_ _**that** _ _person too..._

How else could he get rid of her, then? Suffocation? _No, that would led to an even_ _ **worse**_ _outcome_! He could only be so swift to grab for a trash bag in the cupboard behind him, under the kitchen sink-but not swift enough to stop her from taking a moment to lash out and hurt him _very_ badly...

Maybe it would best just to strangle her. It was the fastest, cleanest, and _most efficient_ course of action to do! She wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight or _say_ _anything_ _ **then**_!

He had almost decided to go ahead with that scenario, until a series of questions began pulling him into another direction, demanding to know where she came from. Would there be any other interlopers to mysteriously appear, and have the same knowledge she had? Was there was any way to prevent the Death Note from being taken out of his room again?

This was all getting so damn _**COMPLICATED**_! Why? What did he do to deserve this? Who was she? Who-or what-sent her in his room?

That's when he remembered her mentioning something about Shinigami; gods of myth that were in his Death Note's instructions.

"No. _No_! _Stop_. I didn't... I don't know why I'm here. I-I don't know why I showed up here, and I..."

Mari's pitiful fragmented whimpers had brought him back to her, the problem that still breathed beneath him. In his grasp, she was trembling. He let up a bit on the pain, enough so that she wouldn't have to raise her voice to speak but also to let her know that she wouldn't be allowed to _screw around_ with him. "You're going to have to give me _more_ than that."

Mari looked away from him, lowering her eyes as she spoke in pitchy and broken sobs. As expected, the porcelain shell of that attitude of hers had shattered completely. "I was... I was in my own bed, but then I..."

Light studied the terror on her face. He was skeptical towards Mari's absurd answer, before filling in the blank. "You appeared in my room. Just like _that_?"

"Yes... I woke up on the floor, b-by your bed. No explanation. I-I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's the truth."

He tugged sharply, then pressed, "Are you _sure_ about that? Because I remember you saying something about Shinigami? You somehow know they're mentioned in the Death Note, _**don't you**_? I remember you saying something about a _'Shinigami buddy'_. Explain." That couldn't be her, because she didn't refer to herself as such. He didn't believe so, because it was so obvious that they weren't on the same side.

This notebook of death, according to what was handwritten in the rules, supposedly came from the death gods. This didn't seem all that surprising now, because she had mentioned at least one of them earlier. "...Did one of them send you here? To take the notebook back?"

Her face flinched in pain, then paled a bit as her wide eyes briefly looked to his. The pacing of her hushed voice quickened. "No. That's not-that's not Ryuk's style. That's not like any of them, I don't think. They wouldn't _abduct_ or send people anywhere."

The uncertainty in her eyes and voice had him curious. She didn't _THINK_? Light had seen otherwise. He could see her trying to imagine what he had hinted at.

"How do you know? Have you ever _**met**_ a Shinigami?" She seemed to know a name of one.

No. How could he ever believe that? How would he know whether or not she was _**lying**_ to him?

Mari glared a bit at his skepticism and irritation. Her voice came out thicker layer of irritation. "It's complicated. Now will you _please_ stop _**hurting me**_?! I'm not going to run away, or fight."

He glanced up to the clock on the wall, to the left of the dining room table. It read two-sixteen; not quite time for Dad to wake up. Light quickly look back to her carefully. There was a sustained dark look Mari gave him. She evaded answering, but noticed she didn't choose to scream or fight him again. Reluctantly, Light moved off of her then watched her slowly sit up.

A bit of her original anger returned to her face. "Guess I'm stuck here." She sounded rather bitter about it. She wasn't at all pleased about this.

"Yeah, you _are_." _He_ didn't want her here either, but he couldn't just kill her so hastily. He had to find out what to do about her quietly, and far away from prying eyes. He also had to think about what to tell his parents as he was coming up with a sure plan to keep her close by. Letting her walk free was way too risky.

Mari must have known that too, for she stayed right where she was. They both knew that if she would try to put up another _fight_ , then she would only be in for a _lot_ more hurt.

"You are, oh, what's the right term... _walking on **thin ice**_ ," Light warned. "I don't quite have an incentive to kill you, because you're alone. You don't seem to be carrying any wires, or recording devices. If there was anyone else, they would have come for you by now." His glare intensified as the malice began to seep in. "You know too much, so I _can't let you_ _ **go**_."

She looked very bitter about that. "I figured as much." The very reply puzzled him. Normally anyone would be more indignant or worried than that, but Light hadn't let himself dwell on it.

"You are nothing but a _nuisance_ for me," Light pointed out. "You're in the way. Right now, you're on _borrowed_ time, because I want to know what _you know_ about me, and the Death Note... I don't know what else to do with you either. Believe me, I _know_ you'll refuse to tell me your real name, but you'll need to have at least _a_ name though, so my family will know what to call you."

"A fake name? _Really_? Oh good, because I'm _not_ going to let you kill me so easily."

That attitude was back again-but she seemed to be reluctantly _agreeing_ to this. "You're not going to resist? Because, if you _agree_ , you'd be putting your life into my hands..." He felt himself smirk.

There was so much anger and bitterness, no surprise, just as she had looked at the beginning. "Oh don't _**flatter**_ yourself, Kira. No need to rub it in on the ego stroking. It doesn't matter _what_ I do or say. You've already explained it like I have _no choice_."

The amusement he had towards her arose as he laughed softly at her expense. "Again with that name... What does it mean?"

Mari applied a mocking lilt to her tone. " _Oh_? You want me to give you a _spoiler_? Not that it'll be long before you find that out."

Light felt his brow raising. "That's an interesting word to use. Are you implying you're able to predict the future? _My_ future, to be more specific?" Why did she happen to figuratively fall into his lap? It was a _fact_ that she knew his name and the notebook, that _had_ to mean she wasn't here by some unfortunate accident, or coincidence...

A wicked sneer appeared in her eyes. "Pfft. I'm not a _psychic_ , exactly. It's complicated."

Another smirk crossed his features. "I'm only trying to figure out why you're here. Is that _all_ you have to say? 'It's complicated'? That's not going to help anybody, you know... By the way, you _might_ want to watch attitude of yours. You can't stay here if you run that big mouth of yours around my parents and sister."

The confident sneer of hers went away, to be replaced with another one of her glares. "I respect them more than I'd _ever_ respect you, so there won't be any _need_ to worry about that. And, I _know_ I'd give you a reason to kill me if I told them about your warped quest." Her glare became sharper. "I know your father is chief of the NPA... Do you honestly think he'd be proud of what you're doing?"

Light glared right back. Just as he had thought-she **_DID_** know who his family was! Earlier, she really had tried to get him to lose it. Before his very eyes, she really was a serious threat. How did she _know_ all of this?! "Who are you?"

"Someone who happened to show up on accident."

Warily, he told her, "I don't think I believe you... You know who I am. You tried to take my Death Note, and you know about my family too. How?" His gaze darkened. "You _better_ answer me, or you're going to regret it."

Another fierce glare came to her eyes. "This is going to take some _time_ to explain, all right? Shit, it's not like I came here _knowing_ I would end up in your room. I wasn't prepared for that, I _**swear**_."

He loathed that at the way she it looked like she was coldly judging him. If she didn't let her emotions rule her whenever she got so scared, then she would have been a more worthy and equal opponent to beat. This was very typical for any other woman he had ever met. Because of this, she was struggling to stay strong and confident—she was vulnerable. She _feared_ him.

There was no mistaking on her cunning, and she so far had given her all to evade the questions he demanded out of her—but not for too much longer...

He never had anyone try to stand up to him like this. Light knew she was going to be quite a challenge, in the long run, but by the time she had outlived her use, he would send her on her way.

For the time being, the dust between them was appearing to settle. Mari was being a little cooperative.

"Fine... We'll discuss more about this _upstairs_." He stood up irritably, and offered his hand to her. "For right now, you're going to have to help me with a little clean up in the kitchen, before we do that."

She looked at his hand, then glared up at him. "No _thanks_. I'll help myself up... And yeah, whatever. You won't let me out of your sight. Got _that_ memo down." She was using one of the dining room chairs to help support her weight. "Shit, that really hurt."

Light still had a thin loose clump of her hair in one hand. He looked from that to her, and then stepped past her to drop the it into the trash. "You deserved every bit of that, for trying to steal the Death Note." Light turned to pick up the Death Note. His eyes were almost thin slits as he looked at her so fiercely over his shoulder. "If you _ever_ try to do it again-"

"I _know_ ," Mari interjected. A little snarl entered her voice. "I'd be _dead_. I won't get another chance. Not that I'd _want it_."

Because she knew of that consequence, Light didn't let her response him affect him very much as he smirked. "You are one _very_ rude girl. Must you _snap_ at me at every chance you get? We can't have that around my family, because if you're rude to me in front of them..." He selectively drifted off, and let her picture or imagine what he might have to do.

For just a fleeting second, the terror came and went in her expression. Then Mari looked like she was about to spout something else profane, but stopped. A heavy sigh came through gritted teeth. The vigorous resentment toward him was now sustained into a calmer anger. "It's not like you're not making it _**easy**_ for me. It's not like I _want_ to be here, and I know very well that _you_ don't want me here. That we can agree on. I _assure_ you; I'll act polite and smile for you at the _appropriate_ _time_ , Kira-Warden. I don't want to endanger them, _or_ myself."

From what she mentioned to him about Dad, she said with such conviction. The display in her expression also seemed believable. "Good... So, what the hell were you thinking earlier? Just how were you going to get away, dressed like that?" Light crossed his arms. "It's rather cold out... You hadn't planned very far ahead."

Mari's reply was short, and vague. "It doesn't matter. _Not anymore_. You're probably better off not knowing." She started to lower herself, but she was moving a bit too slow.

For right now, he suppose he could let it go. This wasn't going to be an unknown forever, and he knew he wasn't going to let that drop until she would fess up to him.

"Don't bother bending over if you're hurt too much. Let's not waste time," Light told her. "Just stand off to the side, and don't move."

"And stay where you can see me? Yeah, yeah..."

They both knew that bravado she put on wasn't fooling anyone. She was so terrified. She was even _more_ terrified to let him see that she was. There may come a time in the not distant future in which she might feel less snappish and bitchy, a little at a time—but he wasn't going to let that get to his head. He wasn't going let his guard down as long as he had her around. As he was picking up the mess, that was when she gave him the false name.

"By the way? My fake name will be Mari Broderick. That is all."

As soon as she said that, there was a distant high pitched noise, something electronic. That was when Light heard his mind silently scream, _Damn it,_ _ **WHAT NOW**_ _?!_ Really, he didn't know how much more absurd happenings he could stand.

He looked to Mari, who looked toward the stairs, perplexed. "What's that beeping sound...?"

Light regarded her warily before deciding to mention the strange cell phone anomaly. "I think I might have an idea. Recently, something else just happened to show up around me, not just you and the notebook..."

He explained all about the odd phone shaped device as he hurriedly finished gathering up all those pens, before putting them in the cup. As he did, they continued to hear the device, that chirped at what must have been every thirty seconds. "So, what do _you_ think? Is there some kind of connection going on here, or is it all just coincidence?"

Mari shrugged, and didn't make much of an effort to think about it. She was trying evade him _again_. "No idea. I just know such a phone is definitely not mine."

"Let's go," Light commanded, motioning to the stairs. "You first." He didn't trust her to _follow_ _him_ , for he believed that she may try to seek the opportunity to run away again if he let her.

However, truth be told, they found out the device actually _was_ for Mari-or at least it had been prepared for her.

Light thought back to the time she looked so scared as he gave to her. When it came down to it, she was mostly a _scared little girl_ on the inside. It was so easy to see through her. Little by little, as he would predict, the information she knew would spill."Wh-what the _hell_?"

"My thoughts exactly," he replied. He paused a moment to consider. _What other higher powers that be_ _ **are there**_ _? This is getting to be ridiculous..._ _ **"**_ If a Shinigami hadn't sent you here, could it be some _other_ kind of god? A Shinigami drops a notebook from the sky. Another strange strange force leaves this device, and now here _you_ are."

She blinked at him in horror as a soft stammer came out. "M-Maybe you're just thinking too much."

When he showed her to the spare bedroom reserved for people his mother would take in, because she would feel sorry for them. She would feel just as sorry for Mari later-once he would think up a convincingly tragic story to tell them.

"I need to think for a little while," Light said. Mari was still taken back from the last thing he said to really say anything as she sat down on the bed, so he proceeded to give her a simple instruction. "Until I come back, I want you to find out _what that does_ , if you can." He lowered himself to look at her evenly at eye level. He applied a warning. "Stay here. The door to this room is going to stay open. I'll be leaving my door open too, so if I hear you try to sneak out, that means you're only asking for more trouble."

"Whatever," she breathed, and looked away from him.

He moved her face so she could look him in the eyes. His eyes half closed as he addressed the matter . "You're going to be here for quite a while, Mari Broderick. There's a lot you seem to know and, for _some_ reason-you don't wish to tell me. That's going to change..." His eyes burned with determination as he added, "I also believe you were sent here for a reason. There's no point in denying it."

She glared that fierce glare of hers, and smacked his hand away. "Go plot then. _**Do it**_. I'll look at the damn thing. I'm not going anywhere. Just so we are clear; I'm _not_ someone you can just control. I can only agree to cooperate to an _**extent**._ "

"We'll see about that." Light calmly stood up, and rubbed his eyelids a little. The few hours to come were going to be very long and strenuous. Sometime later, he might receive a headache from all this. "May I ask you one more thing?"

She glared at him more. "Whatever. Go ahead."

"Is there something in particular that you have against me? I don't know anything about you right now, and it seems to me the things you shouldn't know cause you to despise me..." He glowered. "Don't tell me it's because I hurt you, because we both know that's not it."

"You're seriously _asking me that_?" Mari inhaled a shaky breath before letting it out. She looked nervous as her eyes lowered.

Light stared, his eyes boring in on her. "I am."

"Fine. Better get it out of the way then..." She breathed in once more, and slowly shook her head before she looked to him again. "I cannot stand that someone like you actually exists. I _never_ wanted to find this out... No matter how much you want to believe you're the good guy-you're _twisted_." Her arms were trembling as she found it hard to keep her eyes focused on his. "You lie to the people you love, just so you can keep using the Death Note. You resent murderers and the like, and you believe you're so much better to justify their actions with murder. None of that bothers you, like it would bother _me..._ "

Her voice cracked, and then became thicker. Through the dim light coming from the window in the spare bedroom, two slivers of tears streamed down her face. "I wouldn't be able to do it. I _value_ life too much. It's a crazy world, sure, but is it any _**less**_ crazy to change it with a _killer notebook_? To make good use out of something so _evil_? Are you _really_ being selfless here for the greater good, Light?"

It was right then that he wondered how old Mari was. She looked a little older than him, or maybe she was in her twenties. In some spec of respect, Light discovered she was a little more intelligent than he had initially thought.

At first, her statement of accusations startled him as he heard them. Her resentment combined with that cut right into him like cold steel. The questions she asked had brought a wave of some indescribable feeling, some mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You know _way_ too much..." That was all he could say for that moment that somehow had taken longer to pass than usual-until he felt very suspicious about her taking the Death Note again. He began to realize that he had assumed wrong about Mari.

She didn't want to take the notebook to use it. No, she was trying to do something completely _opposite_ of that.

Light looked at her with utmost intensity, his voice low and calm. "Mari... I want you to be _honest_ with me on something."

Her shoulders tensed as she looked to him. Her eyes widened a little.

"No more dodging the subject," Light insisted.

Very hesitantly, Mari nodded.

"You took the Death Note to get rid of it. You didn't want me _finding out_ about it either, and you were searching the drawers for something."

"Please don't be mad," Mari whispered.

From the building terror and how her voice had shrunk so fast, Light could see that this was true. The look on her face told him a silent _Oh Shit_ expression _._ He sat down on the mattress beside her. "What were you looking for in the drawers?"

From the dim light coming from the spare bedroom window, he could see her face was paling. She was scooting away from him.

Light remembered how much she had tried to repel this question away. He now knew why. _She ALMOST_ _ **DESTROYED**_ ** _the Death Note_** , he heard his mind scream. He blew out a heavy sigh, and quelled down the raw and hot rage he felt. _That was close,_ _ **TOO**_ _ **CLOSE**_ _!_

_She really is a threat to everything **, w**_ _**hoever** __this damn woman really is..._

"U-Understand... I had the best intentions in mind," Mari whimpered.

Part of himself just wanted to end Mari _**here and now**_ , while another part of him pitied her. He also believed she asked the right questions, and in some small pathetic light he felt she was right on _some_ of the things she said about him.

Whether or not her actions were really well-intended, wherever she came from, he now realized what she meant by _paranoid_ , to some degree. Whatever kind of god or other mythical being that sent her his way _had_ to know she would have to die, eventually. He wasn't sure what the purpose of her being here was, not yet, but it _irritated_ him to no end that she had almost got away with disposing of the Death Note.

He'd have to keep an eye on her as much as he could, and he wasn't looking forward to _that_ at all. Learning more about her and knowing how and why she knew about him and his family was at least going to be _something_ interesting. That, and what the phone did, were the things he would be looking forward to later.

The new world had to come. It was counting on him. It would come whether Mari liked it or not, and there was _nothing_ she could do or say to prevent it.

However, Light felt he could spare her a little mercy right now.

"Let me explain something to you... This world needs to _change_. I understand how you feel about how I do it, I really do, but the _law_ is fractured. Corrupted. It _**can't**_ go on like this." He glowered. "I'm sure there must be _some_ people you feel don't deserve to live."

The soft reply she gave surprised him a bit. "No I don't."

He stared at her, expressionless. "You've never felt that way about anyone?"

She shook her head no. The voice she carried now was a small and timid one. "I... I never grew up around much crime. Never felt or thought that way about even the people I never got along with."

Light lowered his head a bit in thought. "Maybe you're a sentimental pacifist." He paused. "Look, someone needs to _clean up_ this rotten world. There should be a world where only honest and the good-hearted exist. With the Death Note, I can accomplish that."

The crude attitude didn't come springing back this time, to which was a nice change for once. (That was the one trait about her he really despised.) For the time being, Mari was quiet.

"You already know about that, right? You probably know my place in the new world... I can't have you or anyone standing in _my way_. Just because you're someone who just happens to be here, wrong place at the wrong time, you're _not_ excused." He leaned forward. "You almost ruined **_everything_**."

Mari sat still, and didn't look at him as more tears were leaking out. Again, she spoke softly. "So, I'll just be another expendable person to you. Is that it?"

Light wondered slightly if she said that in resentment, or in fear. He almost told her that _yes_ , she most certainly _**WOULD**_ die by his hand someday, but this was too far ahead to decide. "It really depends on how cooperative you'll _be_. I'm not sure about this deity of yours, or why it sent you here-and I can't go on without knowing more."

Mari shivered. "Th-this is going to suck. How can I _stay_ _here_ while you continue to...?"

He looked at her, unamused. "I know what I'm doing bothers you, a _lot_. Although I have to ask; do you feel _sympathy_ for criminals?"

"No, that's not it..." She shook her head. "That power is _so_ _corruptible_. The more you use it, you'll..." She inhaled sharply. "I won't help you with _that_ , and I don't know how I'll stomach it when..."

Again, she was to be pitied. He realized that she must have felt like the most unfortunate person in the world right now-not that he necessarily felt sorry for Mari. He only understood her. "Will you feel _compelled_ to try and stop me, Mari?" _Because if you do, you'll_ _ **know**_ _what will happen._

"I won't _**touch it**_ again, if that's what you're asking. No, I'm not going to repeat that mistake." She looked to him, crying her pitiful tears. "I just won't _help you_ with that. I can't sit and do nothing either! I don't really want to fight you-no, that would be exhausting. I know it... I don't want to watch you _**destroy**_ yourself."

Light stood up, annoyed. _Such a_ _ **nuisance.**_ _Is she really going to be like this the_ _ **whole time?**_ " _Destroy myself_? I know better than that... It's the _world_ that must be saved. It's not just about _us_... It's because of people who'd feel the way you do is the reason why _**anyone else**_ can't know about the notebook. Got it?"

Mari said nothing for a long minute as he felt he like he needed to leave. Light told himself that he shouldn't let all she said bother him. No. He would stray far from his noble mission to make this world a utopia if he did! "We'll talk more later. Right now, I have to think about what to tell my parents about you, and..." He picked up the sleek device from between them on the mattress, and placed it into her hands. "You can figure out what _this_ does while I do."

She looked down at it in silence. The screen lit up and the text of the given name she gave him faded into view just after. "Just do as I tell you, and _don't_ get in my way. As long as you do that, we'll have less problems," Light said, as he moved towards his bedroom.

For a while, Light had been in his room on the computer. He hadn't been able to come up with something for an alibi for Mari by himself, so he started looking up online articles for some inspiration. Her words still ticked loud and clear in his inner clockwork, causing him to sulk in his chair. Her sentimentalism was not needed. He didn't _**want**_ anyone saving him, or stopping him, especially not her! He was a _new_ brand of _**JUSTICE,**_ without flaws and nothing that would lead the police straight to Light's doorstep. Those responsible for their wicked deeds just dropped dead to the ground. They would come to fear his will, and people will start to change their ways. Violence and wars would end. There would be no more world hunger. The world's most deadly diseases would be cured.

Things like that mattered _so much more_. It had to happen. Mari whole-heartedly resented the Death Note, but so _what_? It was better than _nothing at all_!

Maybe she would one day realize this during the time she'd have to stay, maybe not. He just knew her _**feelings**_ weren't going to change a damn thing...

_Arsonist. Aparment building burned down. Three people died_ , Light calculated as he was skimming over this online newspaper article. The apartment was somewhere not very far from here. Light could say to Dad that he found Mari wandering around because she was scared of the fire, was the sole survivor and took pity on her. It would work out. Light could add that everything burned away in the fire, so that would be why she didn't have any belongings or clothes with her. Yeah, that _should_ work.

On occasion, he heard a soft gasps, shaky breathing, or hiccups from Mari in the room next door, yet he tried not to let her crying bother him. He didn't even want to think about her or her heavy baggage of _**drama**_ right now. She had her task to do, and she just needed some time alone. Maybe it would do them both some good if they spent a little bit more time away from each other.

He decided to spend a minute or two to look up information about "Kira", before he would go check back with her. (Could she truly be right about people calling him by this name?) However, as he was about to left click the search button, her breaths were becoming sharper, and a bit louder. This prompted him to sigh and get out of his chair. He'd better go check on her then. _Is she having a_ _ **panic attack**_ _? Damn it..._

Just what was this other entity's _**deal**_? Did it get pleasure out of her being there to _irritate_ him? It must have gotten pleasure to just let her _suffer_. Her suffering added onto his-such a _pain_. At least the Shinigami did something acceptable to drop the Death Note for him to pick up. This other being was, if anything, a horrible trickster. He didn't need anybody already knowing about him and the notebook! He didn't need this _**AT**_ _**ALL**_!

He just wanted to be left the hell _**alone.**_ However, the gods found great interest in him for some reason. To be left alone was possibly too much to ask or demand from them.

...I have no idea what the hell the purpose of this device is.

_Huh?_ I can read my own thoughts with this thing?

This is one weird cell phone, if one could call it that... but there's no way to call anyone on it. It's crazy enough that my _so very messed up in the HEAD_ captor let me hang onto this.

This can pick up on my exact THOUGHTS too! _Shit_ , that's so weird, and crazy... The way this text shows up--it's almost like the way I'd update my _blog_.

At least it's not making any noise as I'm- ** _what the HELL_**? _I can't BLOCK certain thoughts from showing up on this thing?_! _Erase! **ERASE**!_

_Shit,_ I can't mentally erase any of this?! This is bad, REALLY BAD, considering the TROUBLE I'm in...

To whoever it is that designed this for me, I just found out I can do all the telepathy text all I want-but who is all of this going to? _You_?! I don't know if there is any sender at _all_!

I hope you're fucking _happy_. You're _sick._ **_YOU_** _captured me somehow, and placed me in his ROOM_! **_THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT_**! Could you really be some kind of other GOD as he says, apart from the _Shinigami_?!

You can't be any saner than Light, because of what happened. **_ARE YOU ON HIS SIDE, AND NOT MINE? IS THAT IT?!_** _Oh god..._

WHY couldn't I just-?! He's way off-his-meds _CRAZY_! He's gone insane so fast, in under _FIVE DAYS_! Ryuk hasn't even _appeared_ yet! Light caught me, and now...

What if he _FINDS_ all this text?!

_What's the_ _POINT of this thing anyway_?! So what, Light will be able to know my thoughts... _Shit_. Meaning I wouldn't be able to hide anything from him?! No, I can't let him KNOW out about this, if I'm to _survive._

No. If I try to hide that... He'd probably **_make_** me hold this thing whenever I'd refuse to talk—but then again I could just think up _nonsense_. But wouldn't that ALSO make him very angry?!

You know WHAT, Mr. Entity of Telepathic Hi-Tech?! Will you spare me a moment of your time and let me know why the fuck I'm here, before I _lose_ it?! I've pissed Light off so much already, and I don't want to give him any clear _incentive_ , in his term, to kill me...

_Damn me and my **big mouth**_. I just had to go there... I **_HATE_** the idea of _cowering_ and giving in to him though! I wouldn't know how to live with myself, if I ever develop something similar to _Stockholm's_ around the bastard.

It's because of the both of you that sleep won't **_come_**! That's not happening. I'm sure _Light_ won't be sleeping very well either.

I know how he thinks, at least... This is also of course _bad_ since he sees me as a really dangerous threat. I guess I am, and I'm locked in one _seriously bad_ — _DAMN HIM!_

_**I should have blocked his damn door.**_ Why didn't I make extra time to DO THAT?! Because I was so **_AFRAID_** of _making any noise_?! I could have been able to finish what I knew I _had to do_ , and get a running head start!

I hope he dies the way he does in the _manga_ , in front of Near, the SPK, and the task force he'll use as _puppets_! I **_won't_** feel sorry for him, when that happens. If he _wants_ to destroy himself and _fuck everything up_ so bad... If he really _has_ to be such an **_asshole_** to me while doing so then maybe I should just let him.

HE. DOESN'T. FEEL. **ANYTHING!**

He doesn't care about me, or anybody. Not even his _family._ Not really. If he did then he would have tried to go to Soichiro for help after writing that first name down.

_Did he ever stop and **THINK** about that_?!

I told him how I felt, and **_tried_** to get him to think about what he's doing. I thought I reached him there, for a moment _but my words don't mean much to him at all. This is so crazy. Light doesn't know what he's doing. He can't see it, it's so **scary**._

And this is all really happening. He's...

_Why_? Why am I here then, if I can't...?

_Wait_. Breathe... If I could really succeed in helping L, and prevent him from dying... Could I manage to contact him somehow? Tell him all I _know_? Let the grim reaper tag-along write down Light's name _sooner_? What do you think of _THAT_ , Mr. Sadist Deity? He may threaten my life, but _I_ know of his **_doom._**

Maybe you were expecting this! Maybe THAT's what you want?! I don't _know_! _How the **HELL** would I know_?!

You could just be laughing your ass off, from wherever you are! Whoever, whatever you _ARE_! You're probably the SAME as _RYUK_ who dropped that nasty Death Note!

Oh _shit_ , **_RYUK_**. I _touched_ the notebook, so I will be able see him, when he comes. He will laugh in my face. Mock me and pester me while fucking _Kira_ writes more names in, _murdering_ , and they both will _know_ it will bother me.

And Ryuk might let Light know, even **indirectly** , about me trying to do anything behind...

AND **MISA** , SECOND KIRA. LATER ON SHE-!

_TELL ME WHY I'M HERE_! You possibly couldn't have sent me here to _DIE_ , **_RIGHT_**?!

_Hard to breathe. Losing it. So scared_. _Chest feels tight again. I'm so scared I'm scaring myself holy shit..._

Deep breaths. _Deeeep_ breathing... I have to _calm **down**_.

Please tell me why this is **_happening_**. Please tell me now. _Please..._

 

The past few days, since first finding the notebook of death that had been dropped from the sky, have been intense. _Amazing_... The Death Note, to which looked like any ordinary black college notebook, was truly a force to be reckoned with. The mysterious, complicated, incredible power was the ideal way of cleaning up the world of vermin that spread violence and _filth_.

He did it. Light Yagami had just single handedly disposed of the world's most terrible criminals--without having to leave his room. Of course, that had only been the beginning. The media, the Internet and the news on the TV in his room, these things provided the faces and names he needed. Everything had been going smoothly.

Naturally, the police would start to grow suspicious and concerned about this very soon. Light had been counting on it. Not that there was anything they could _do_ to stop them from dropping like flies of heart attacks, he knew but they will be concerned about that, even afraid.

_Tonight_ differed from that though... Things had become so very complicated, and irritating. **_INFURIATING_**! For once, Light thought the universe had agreed on his sentiment, that this world was so rotten, so _messy_! He felt a sense of certainty and resolve that felt so good, so _right_! Someone, perhaps a higher power out there, had to have a shared viewpoint on the way civilization was slowly degrading and _wasting away_ on itself. Whether or not anyone really looked upon him to start fixing it, he was _glad_ to do it, one name at a time. The current world just couldn't go on. It was time to change that, and Light had a powerful instrument to use to absolve and cleanse it of evil. The transformation would be neat and orderly without second guessing.

That should have been it. There didn't really **_need_** to be anything or anyone else. He didn't need all this other weird shit.

The night visitor he found, the intruder dressed in red and pink sleepwear with cats all over, was so out of context and unexpected. Not only that, but she had tried to put an **_end_** to his plans. No, he wasn't going to take his eyes off of Mari Broderick (the claimed false name she gave out), and he intended to get her to tell him **_everything_** she knew about him, and his Death Note. All he needed was time, enough time to do that _and_ how to make her go **_away_**.

There was a mystery object too. A uniquely shaped device that had been activated fifteen minutes ago-he _still_ didn't know what it was exactly. He _still_ didn't know how it had been placed on his desk, in his room. He kept his door and window locked, most especially when he wasn't there. This had been a habit long before he found the Death Note. No one he knew, certainly not anyone in his family, would try to get in while he was in school, or elsewhere. The only likely person he asked, just to be sure, was his younger sister Sayu. Her expression, in addition to her questions of confusion and disbelief, told him otherwise.

It didn't make any sense to him how or why she would go in and leave some strange metal object, something that could have been used a prop for a science fiction show or movie Light wouldn't care about, in his room as a present. (She _would_ know that he would never take any interest in such things, he had no doubt about that...)

He initially wasn't nearly as concerned as he was now about the unusual and highly advanced _whatever_ , and had considered to have someone he knew from school examine it. He also thought of just keeping it as a paperweight, or decoration. Its design was very sleek, unlike anything Light had ever seen. The shape seemed to slightly curve out in the middle, and in towards the straight ends in a rather unusual oval. It was a similar size and appearance to a cell phone. The dark front resembled a touch tone screen, with two buttons that matched the rest of the sides and back of it. There was nothing on the buttons though, and as he tried to see if it had a slide out keyboard, he couldn't push and slide the top of it to the side.

There was nothing really decorative on this foreign, enigmatic object—except for the etching of a capital silver "V" from the English written language just above the top of the screen.

Sure, it may not have looked like any brand of phone he would not have been able to recognize--but unlike the Death Note, it didn't come with instructions. There wasn't so much as a post-it on what it did. Light tried to press the buttons or touch the screen to see if anything would happen. When nothing happened, he assumed it had to be broken... and then his mysterious and uninvited **_guest_** had shown up, to prove otherwise.

The Death Note didn't have to require someone else, that someone else in particular who had spoke a fake name to make it _light up_ and glow blue on the front. The text on the touch tone screen had saved her fake name in English print. He suspected it was designed just for _her_ to use. How or why this happened, none of them knew. The foreigner from whereabouts unknown right now, alias Mari Broderick, looked surprised. Then she was confused and afraid over this. For only a few moments did the terror come to her face, only to be covered up again in her transparent shell of anger and pride once again, as predicted.

Going back to sleep was not going to happen. Light needed to finish going over everything that had happened, and how he was going to explain to his family about her. In his gut, as much as he felt Mari Broderick **_had to die_** , there were still a lot of secrets she was keeping. Also, if the handheld device was to have any value, he would have her operate it and show him how to do it himself (if possible). He also had to figure out what to do if _more_ people like her would show up.

In time, she _would_ reveal all her secrets to him. He had cornered her, and had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go. She knew far too much, and he intended to find out **_why_**...

Light had left his door open, and he had told her to leave the door open to the spare bedroom beside his. They both knew she had nowhere to run. She had no one to turn to for help, and he knew he had _damn well_ better keep her where he could _watch her_. She had been right about one thing; he wasn't going to give her another chance. She wasn't going to sneak by him, not _ever **again**_.

There was still a risk that she might slip, or resist enough to penetrate the boundaries of their arrangement. He knew she could be smart enough not to, if she could keep that big mouth of hers _shut_ when necessary _._ In a few hours, he would see for himself if she could hold her own around his father. If she really couldn't, then Light would have no choice but to make her disappear. No information or secrets were worth having if Mari wouldn't be able to swallow her pride and do as she was told.

As his patience and the need to keep up the Norman Rockwell appearance of an innocent courteous seventeen year old had been given a shove to their limits, Light was _trying_ not to let her get under his skin too much. He knew he had to wait, and make sure he wouldn't overlook anything, or end up looking back to something about her he may have missed. No, he couldn't have _that_ happen. He had to not miss any details. There couldn't be _any_ loose ends, for any mistake no matter how small would cost him dearly.

How Mari appeared into his house, neither of them knew, but she had very quietly moved around inside the house with the stealth and patience to **_TAKE_** the Death Note from his upper desk drawer, then leave after unlocking the door and making sure to quietly close it behind her. That alone should have enraged him enough, but this was actually the spark in which started them to hate each other.

At two in the morning, everyone in the Yagami family would be asleep in their rooms; Light in his room, Sayu in hers, and his parents in the one they both shared. The house would be all but silent, apart from the soft snoring from his mother all the way down the upstairs hall, and the walled heater vents turning on through the soft metallic tapping. Light had just opened his eyes as the smile had remained a mere minute from a blissful dream he must have had. He would have remembered its content if he hadn't been distracted by a distant, subtle noise. There was more of it to follow just after.

If he hadn't heard, he would have never noticed anything out of place. Light wouldn't have looked towards the door to see the lock in the center of the handle was horizontal, not vertical. No one else in the family had the key to unlock his door from the _outside_. He had earned himself the respective right to his privacy so long ago, and his parents never thought twice about it.

Light remembered feeling the mixture of confusion and a cold grip of panic when he noticed the lock on the handle had been turned. Impossible, he thought! There was just no way someone could have entered the room from outside, and definitely not knowing it--but it had somehow happened...

He had slipped out of his room and was careful to step over the places in the wood that creaked as he proceeded down the stairs. The kitchen light had been turned on, and the intruder's back had been turned; a cartoon of a portly female cartoon cat on the back of her red night shirt worn loosely over her pink pajama pants. She hadn't noticed him, not at all as her bare feet padded along the tiled floor as she was rifling through some counter drawers. Her thick disheveled dark curls bounced and swayed a little to her harried movements.

He distinctly remembered feeling a surge of shock and urgency when he noticed the Death Note on the center counter. She had placed his cup of pens beside it-not that this extra detail mattered. The fact that she was intending to **_steal_** his Death Note meant she was a problem from the moment he first saw her.

Right then, Light didn't say anything at all. There were no words he could say, for this to him was just horribly wrong, _unthinkable_. Only a single thought fleeted through his mind; _STOP HER!_

It wasn't until the pace of his walk quicken when the woman turned around and noticed him. The thief looked like a foreigner, not at all of Asian blood as her blue eyes widened in fear before narrowing to an fierce look in a split second, almost feral as she swept an arm over the center counter to grab for the his cup of pens. Through that glint of desperation and determination to flee, there had been a recognition of who he was. Light never met her before in his life, yet she _knew_ who he was. She took the Death Note, giving him another startling realization. She also had to have knowledge about it not being just a notebook when Light had never spoken about it to _anyone_. He had been very firm with himself to keep it a secret, even from his father.

She hurled the cup with force towards his head. Why she chose to take his pens too, he wasn't sure on yet... He dismissed this detail for now.

_Rage_ punched right through the shock he had felt. Light used that and the adrenaline to its peak to bat the flying cup away as he rushed toward her. It had been to distract him as she grabbed the Death Note and began to run out the other entry way into the dining room. His pens went flying and scattering as he lunged for her, tackling her hard onto the tiled floor.

Mari had retaliated in an attempt of self defense to elbow Light in the chest, but she failed. He could feel one of her arms quickly moving to do so, just as he anticipated. Her look to him of recognition gave it away; she wasn't going to give up without a fight. That was why Light wrapped both arms around her, pressing them to her sides as they both went down. He heard her body hit the kitchen floor when she landed on her side. Quite a bit of sharp pain went into his side too, but he landed mostly on top of her as they went down.

She yelped in pain, then let out a sharp gasp. Light quickly clamped one hand over her mouth to muffle her scream and quickly yanked the Death Note from her grasp. While she had been momentarily stunned from the pain, certain that she was, he took that chance to toss it aside on the floor for now. He could feel her mouth opening under his palm. She was preparing to bite him there. He clutched a firm hold of that that thick hair with his free hand to have her not to. Her limbs jerked as she twitched, then attempted to scramble and get away as he used his own body weight to pin her to the floor--as if the pain along her hip, shoulder, and arm she landed on didn't bother her when it obviously must have. Upon witnessing this, along with how stiff and tense her muscles felt underneath him, Light knew she was really terrified of him. _Good, **very good**_. _She SHOULD be scared_!

Light clearly remembered feeling the rush of excitement climb up into his eyes and on his face as he clutched the back of her scalp tightly and pulled, sending her the command to stop moving. Her warm heavy breath brushed up against his open palm he pressed it firmly to muffle her other cries. He was a hunter who had just caught a rare wild animal with his bare hands. Even though he didn't _necessarily_ want to skin her, stuff her, and mount her body on display for all to see, the initial feeling behind such an intention was kindled inside like a red hot flame.

_**She had tried to steal his Death Note.**_ Her attempt to run away with it was a _very_ serious sin, something that had to be dealt with. This could **_NOT_** happen again! If this hadn't been taking place at home... If they were far away from where his family would hear, he no doubt would have raised his voice. Resorting to inflict pain however had proved to be more worthwhile in the long run.

For the first time ever, right then, Light found himself in a situation in which he was forced to drop the facade as a selfless ace student most people liked. He hadn't wanted it to happen, because he didn't want anyone to ever see _or_ touch the Death Note, but the damn bitch **_HAD!_** The thief he just caught had her fate already sealed. Her actions of this offensive _crime_ were going to lead straight to her death.

As Light still clutched at her scalp, his furious rage silently screamed at her. As he waited for _all_ of her useless squirming and struggling to come to a halt, he wondered if this what it truly felt like to see someone tremble before an almighty god.

Light started the discussion, fluently speaking in English. He wasn't sure if she knew his country's native tongue. His conversational voice had a sharp edge to it. "I must admit, I'm impressed you've managed to come this far. I have no idea how you snuck into my room, when it was _locked_ from the inside _. Without_ waking me up... I commend you even further for _coming_ all the way here without being noticed, dressed like that."

As Light could see and feel her body shaking a little from under him, the swell of victory and relief he had stopped her felt so good. The rage rode on top of it, yet he kept that in check. A _catastrophe_ had indeed almost happened, but if he allowed himself to freak out, then he would alert unwanted attention. His family was still asleep upstairs. He couldn't let either of himself nor Mari raise their voices. "We both know all of that should be impossible. So, who _are_ you, and where did you come from?"

That last question felt absurd to ask, but who was to say her attire and manner hadn't meant to make sense? What if she was sent to throw him off guard...? Light didn't have the slightest on which secret intelligence or government would pull off this sort of thing, but who else but some expert lock picker could have been successful to open the door, without waking him?

Was there back up outside, ready and waiting to break down the front door?

All this was going through his mind as moved his hand away from her mouth to let her answer him. He thought that Mari would have given him some insight as who she worked for—yet her very shrewd tone of voice delivered something he hadn't expected to hear. "Wouldn't you like to know, _Kira_. You want to write my name down? Well, _tough_ , 'cause I won't _tell you_."

_Kira_? Light at the time had no idea what to think about the name she called him, using it like a swear word. Somehow she knew how he killed criminals through usage of the notebook. What had he done? _What slip up did he make_?! He wouldn't do any harm towards anyone he didn't know that would do no harm onto him, or innocent people. She couldn't possibly have known what he was doing, yet she did!

Light shifted and moved to turn her over to have her look at him. There was so much hate in those blue eyes. Her voice of ice was a little shaky at the seams. She was trying, and not succeeding very well, to cover it up with anger. Her round face and overall features didn't look all that threatening, but she acted so brave. Such a brave, brave fool she was. She almost amused him then, to put up such a front, a mask that would crack and shatter sooner rather than later. _Almost_. She just confirmed him on another thing he wanted to know as he stared at her. "You really do know everything about the Death Note." His gaze narrowed. " _How_?"

There was a wince of pain on her round face as she was trying to wriggle and scoot back from him. She, of course, wanted to free herself from his grip. "Let _go_."

Light ignored the threatening intent in her tone, and watched as she was no more than a worm on a hook now, hopelessly trying to escape her imminent death. He slightly smiled at that. "I think you know who I am, too. But Kira isn't my name."

"It will be the name the people call you, the people you’ll have them believe you're the _big damn **hero**_ ," Mari seethed, "But you're not. _Yes_ , I know who you are. I know about your nasty supernatural notebook too, but I'm just as fucking clueless as you are on how and why I'm here..." She clenched both hands around his wrist to try to pry his hand away from her scalp. "Didn't you hear what I _said_? _Let. **Go**."_ She directed that last two words to come out a bit slower, and fiercer.

Who the hell was this woman, to speak such a way towards him?

"You're in no position to tell me or _anyone_ what to do," Light told her, and forcibly yanked her hands away with his free hand before she could dig her fingernails into his skin. He pinned her hands down to the floor, and then applied a little ice to his own words. "It's not _lady-like_ to _take_ something that doesn't belong to you. You should know that."

Mari heavily blew air out her nose, and harshly interrupted him from saying more. "Ohhhh excuse _me_ for being paranoid and not wanting to end up _dead_ while trying to find my way back home, as soon as possible." Then she added, "I had to try _something_. Besides, I happened to be lucky as hell to notice your _Shinigami buddy_ hasn't shown up yet." Her eyes moved away from his as a tear leaked out from one of them. She choked out a bitter laugh in her defeat. "I should have blocked your door with something, but then again, I was afraid you'd overhear. Oh well. Too little, _too fucking late_."

Judging from what this woman admitted, there was no mistaking the fact she was a very serious obstacle. She may not have been a real spy, or some secret agent, but she was almost on par to apply as one to have successfully sneak out of his room. There was no underestimating her vigor to fight back, despite the fact she didn't look athletically fit. No organization or branch of intelligence would be willing to risk one of their own like this though--most certainly not unarmed, and not dressed for the winter weather outside.

By now, he would have expected the cavalry to come storming in. There weren't any. The thief he had caught in the act was _all alone_. In that sense, he was so relieved. It would have been more than Light could really prepare himself for. He would've had to improvise and raise his voice to wake up his parents. It would have caused so much more stress and problems as he would've had to take the Death Note and run as his mother and father would be hurrying down the stairs. Light maybe would have take her as his hostage while he was at it.

Luckily, this wasn't the case at all.

The lone trouble-maker here was going to answer to him. Light figured that once he'd wring out all that he wanted to know from her, within at least a _small_ frame of time he needed, he would end her. Right now, he was starting to feel angry and impatient. "Just what the hell is all of **_that_** supposed to mean?"

He could not blame her for being so furious at him though. He knew he didn't like having to do this either, but she _had_ to disappear.

One would think she'd attempt to be a little nicer, to try and weasel her way from the inevitable. By now, Light realized that wouldn't happen. People reacted in all sorts of ways when afraid. Being rude and trying to threaten him with harsh words was probably just Mari's way of fearing the judgment he had been contemplating of passing onto her. She also seemed too proud for her own good to allow herself to completely surrender to him.

Light glared as she had spoke her confession, if that's what it really was. He remembered reading about the Shinigami from the Death Note's rules... This next question he knew he had to demand. He would forever be curious in not knowing if he chose not to. "What were you trying to do, use the Death Note for _yourself_? _What_ were you looking for in the kitchen drawers?" The very concept of her using the notebook had him riled him up. It disgusted him, this disgust in which he had let out for her to hear. No one but himself could handle its power, its burden.

The power was for **_him_** to find. It was his _DESTINY_! _His, and his **ALONE**_! No one else would be able to handle the notebook. _Only he would_!

Did she seriously believe she could have made _BETTER_ use of it?!

Mari glared back, defiant. The ferocity in her eyes and voice didn't die down, not completely. She was just waiting for the right opportune moment to strike. "Why bother to _ask_? I won't be able to do anything anyway."

Light's patience was wearing thinner, faster than he had been aware of. In observation of her behavior and how difficult she intended to be, it was causing his own mind to race. The gears in the clockwork of his consciousness were spinning so frantically. They couldn't be down here forever. His father was going to wake up in a few hours. Light could picture the scenario flashing through his mind; his father noticing the pens, cup, and Death Note on the kitchen floor, then looking in alarm at Light drilling Mari with his questions as he'd still hold a fistful of her hair in one hand...

If she knew about him, then so was a possibility of her knowing about his family too. _She knows too much. I can't let her go free to **tell anyone**!_

With precision and no warning, Light firmly tugged her hair, and gripped one of her wrists tightly. "I **_know_** you won't." He applied a little more ice into his impatience. "There must be a _lot_ you don't want to tell me. I may not be able to get your name, but if I really _must_ , I **_will_** kill you by any other means necessary. If you continue to be _difficult_ , then I'll have no choice."

He thought he saw a sneer flicker in her judging, angry eyes. One more hiss of a remark came. "I know you haven't been killing for very long. You think it's so _swell_ without getting any blood on your hands. So easy and clean. But with me, it's-"

Never in his life did he want to hurt a girl before. _Tonight_ was proving to be exceptional. Mari had been nothing but a _bitch_ to him! She wielded a big foul mouth for someone who claimed to be paranoid, and how she knew _that information_ without him knowing was freaking him out. The gears were spinning so fast. He hadn't known anything about her then, but she knew **_how long_** he had been writing names into the Death Note. _What **else** did she know about him_?!

Light had come close to shouting, his mouth opening... _NO_ , he wasn't going to let her provoke him like that! He wasn't going to let that scenario with Dad happen.

In the equivalent of how loud Light could have been, he pulled hard to prevent her from finishing that spiteful sentence. Her mouth opened to a silent scream. He pressed down just as hard on her hands while he still had her pinned to the floor. He couldn't lose to this arrogantly rude **_menace_** , and _could not give up on what he had just started_! "Your scare tactics _won't work_. Do you honestly think I can't kill you without the notebook?" He pulled and brought her face close to his, to direct his all rage right at her. " _Should we_ **_find out_**?"

At that point he thought, _maybe_ he should just put her out of her misery **_right now_**. This was getting to be too much, _too fast_. _Because_ Mari knew a lot she really shouldn't, he knew that she had to _GO_! He didn't find all that much enjoyment in hurting and tormenting a person like this, especially when under pressure. He knew he was inexperienced, but she just had to be such a horrid, troublesome brat ** _..._**

This woman was really _dangerous_ , a lethal threat to Light's ambitions. She wasn't going to tell him anything; only continue to glare and use her secrets as a weapon to make him snap, and get caught. How was he going to silence her, _without_ getting caught?! The clockwork of his mind started _reeling_ in stress, desperate to latch onto the first option that came up.

A most hectic image revealed itself; him dragging her out in the cold, Mari kicking and screaming, _fighting_ _viciously_ with all she has to stop him from striking a killing blow with a knife, shears, or something _else_ sharp from the kitchen.

No, she'd get much too **loud**. Someone might overhear and run over to the rescue--and then I would have to kill **that** person too.

How else could he get rid of her, then? Suffocation? _No, that would led to an even **worse** outcome_! He could only be so swift to grab for a trash bag in the cupboard behind him, under the kitchen sink-but not swift enough to stop her from taking a moment to lash out and hurt him _very_ badly.

Maybe it would best just to strangle her. It was the fastest, cleanest, and _most efficient_ course of action to do! She wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight or _say_ _anything **then**_!

He had almost decided to go ahead with that scenario, until a series of questions began pulling him into another direction, demanding to know where she came from. Would there be any other interlopers to mysteriously appear, and have the same knowledge she had? Was there was any way to prevent the Death Note from being taken out of his room again?

This was all getting so damn **_COMPLICATED_**! Why? What did he do to deserve this? Who was she? Who-or what-sent her in his room?

That's when he remembered her mentioning something about Shinigami; gods of myth that were in his Death Note's instructions.

"No. _No_! _Stop_. I didn't... I don't know why I'm here. I-I don't know why I showed up here, and I..."

Mari's pitiful fragmented whimpers had brought him back to her, the problem that still breathed beneath him. In his grasp, she was trembling. He let up a bit on the pain, enough so that she wouldn't have to raise her voice to speak but also to let her know that she wouldn't be allowed to _screw around_ with him. "You're going to have to give me _more_ than that."

Mari looked away from him, lowering her eyes as she spoke in pitchy and broken sobs. As expected, the porcelain shell of that attitude of hers had shattered completely. "I was... I was in my own bed, but then I..."

Light studied the terror on her face. He was skeptical towards Mari's absurd answer, before filling in the blank. "You appeared in my room. Just like _that_?"

"Yes... I woke up on the floor, b-by your bed. No explanation. I-I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's the truth."

He tugged sharply, then pressed, "Are you _sure_ about that? Because I remember you saying something about Shinigami? You somehow know they're mentioned in the Death Note, **_don't you_**? I remember you saying something about a _'Shinigami buddy'_. Explain." That couldn't be her, because she didn't refer to herself as such. He didn't believe so, because it was so obvious that they weren't on the same side.

This notebook of death, according to what was handwritten in the rules, supposedly came from the death gods. This didn't seem all that surprising now, because she had mentioned at least one of them earlier. "...Did one of them send you here? To take the notebook back?"

Her face flinched in pain, then paled a bit as her wide eyes briefly looked to his. The pacing of her hushed voice quickened. "No. That's not--that's not Ryuk's style. That's not like any of them, I don't think. They wouldn't _abduct_ or send people anywhere."

The uncertainty in her eyes and voice had him curious. She didn't _think_? Light had seen otherwise. He could see her trying to imagine what he had hinted at.

"How do you know? Have you ever **_met_** a Shinigami?" She seemed to know a name of one.

No. How could he ever believe that? How would he know whether or not she was **_lying_** to him?

Mari glared a bit at his skepticism and irritation. Her voice came out thicker layer of irritation. "It's complicated. Now will you _please_ stop **_hurting me_**? I'm not going to run away, or fight."

He glanced up to the clock on the wall, to the left of the dining room table. It read two-sixteen; not quite time for Dad to wake up. Light quickly look back to her carefully. There was a sustained dark look Mari gave him. She evaded answering, but noticed she didn't choose to scream or fight him again. Reluctantly, Light moved off of her, and then watched her slowly sit up.

A bit of her original anger returned to her face. "Guess I'm stuck here." She sounded rather bitter about it. She wasn't at all pleased about this.

"Yeah, you _are_." _He_ didn't want her here either, but he couldn't just kill her so hastily. He had to find out what to do about her quietly, and far away from prying eyes. He also had to think about what to tell his parents as he was coming up with a sure plan to keep her close by. Letting her walk free was way too risky.

Mari must have known that too, for she stayed right where she was. They both knew that if she would try to put up another _fight_ , then she would only be in for a _lot_ more hurt.

Light explained to her in a firm warning. "You are, oh, what's the right term... _walking on **thin ice**_. I don't quite have an incentive to kill you, because you're alone. You don't seem to be carrying any wires, or recording devices. If there was anyone else, they would have come for you by now." His glare intensified as the malice began to seep into his tone. "You know too much, so I _can't let you **go**_."

She looked very bitter about that. "I figured as much." The very reply puzzled him. Normally anyone would be more indignant or worried than that, but Light hadn't let himself dwell on it.

"You are nothing but a _nuisance_ for me," Light pointed out. "You're in the way. Right now, you're on _borrowed_ time, because I want to know what _you know_ about me, and the Death Note... I don't know what else to do with you either. Believe me, I _know_ you'll refuse to tell me your real name, but you'll need to have at least _a_ name, so my family will know what to call you."

"A fake name? _Really_? Oh good, because I'm _not_ going to let you kill me so easily."

That attitude was back again—but he himself back from hurting the smart mouthed bitch, because she seemed to be reluctantly _agreeing_ to this. "You're not going to resist? Because, if you _agree_ , you'd be putting your life into my hands..." He felt himself beginning to smirk.

There was so much anger and bitterness directed at him, through her response. "Oh don't **_flatter_** yourself, Kira. No need to rub it in on the ego stroking. It doesn't matter _what_ I do or say. You've already explained it like I have _no choice_."

Light began to feel the slightest amusement he towards her as he laughed softly at her expense. "Again with that name... What does it mean?"

Mari applied a mocking lilt to her tone. " _Oh_? You want me to give you a _spoiler_? Not that it'll be long before you find that out."

Light felt his brow raising. "That's an interesting word to use. Are you implying you're able to predict the future? _My_ future, to be more specific?" Why _did_ she happen to figuratively fall into his lap? It was a _fact_ that she knew his name and the notebook, that _had_ to mean she wasn't here by some unfortunate accident, or coincidence...

A wicked sneer appeared in her eyes. "Pfft. I'm not a _psychic_ , exactly. It's complicated."

"I'm only trying to figure out why you're here. Is that _all_ you have to say? 'It's complicated'? That's not going to help anybody, you know..." He smirked at her again. "By the way, you _might_ want to watch attitude of yours. You can't stay here if you run that big mouth of yours around my parents and sister."

The confident sneer of hers went away, to be replaced with another one of her glares. "I respect them more than I'd _ever_ respect you, so there won't be any _need_ to worry about that. And, I _know_ I'd give you a reason to kill me if I told them about your warped quest." Her glare became sharper. "I know your father is chief of the NPA... Do you honestly think he'd be proud of what you're doing?"

Light glared right back. It was just as he had thought--she **_DID_** know who his family was, or at least his father! Earlier, she really had tried to get him to lose it. He realized that her earlier actions were indeed intentional. Before his very eyes, she really was a serious threat. How did she _know_ about who his father was?! "Who are you?"

"Someone who happened to show up on accident."

Warily, he told her, "I don't think I believe you... You know who I am. You tried to take my Death Note, and you know about my family too. How?" His gaze darkened. "You _better_ answer me, or you're going to regret it."

Another fierce glare came to her eyes. "This is going to take some _time_ to explain, all right? Shit, it's not like I came here _knowing_ I would end up in your room. I wasn't prepared for that, I **_swear_**."

He loathed that at the way she judged him; coldly, accusingly. If she didn't let her emotions rule her whenever she got so scared, then she would have been a more worthy and equal opponent to beat. This was very typical for any other woman he had ever met. Because of this, she was struggling to stay strong and confident—she was vulnerable. She _feared_ him.

There was no mistaking on her cunning, and she so far had given her all to evade the questions he demanded out of her—but not for too much longer...

He never had anyone try to stand up to him like this. Light knew she was going to be quite a challenge, in the long run, but by the time she had outlived her use, he would send her on her way.

For the time being, the dust between them was appearing to settle. Mari became a little cooperative.

"Fine... We'll discuss more about this _upstairs_." He stood up irritably, and offered his hand to her. "For right now, you're going to have to help me with a little clean up in the kitchen, before we do that."

She looked at his hand, then glared up at him. "No _thanks_. I'll help myself up... And yeah, whatever. You won't let me out of your sight. Got _that_ memo down." She was using one of the dining room chairs to help support her weight. " _Ah_ , that really hurt."

Light still had a thin loose clump of her hair in one hand. He looked from that to her, and then stepped past her to drop the it into the trash. "You deserved every bit of that, for trying to steal the Death Note." Light turned to pick up the Death Note. His eyes were almost thin slits as he looked at her so fiercely over his shoulder. "If you _ever_ try to do it again-"

"I _know_ ," Mari interjected. A little snarl entered her voice. "I'll be _dead_. I won't get another chance. Not that I'd _want it_."

Because she knew of that consequence, Light didn't let her response him affect him very much as he smirked. "You are one _very_ rude girl. Must you _snap_ at me at every chance you get? We can't have that around my family, because if you're rude to me in front of them..." He selectively drifted off, and let her picture or imagine what he might have to do.

For just a fleeting second, the terror came and went in her expression. Then Mari looked like she was about to spout something else profane, but stopped. A heavy sigh came through gritted teeth. The vigorous resentment toward him was now sustained into a calmer anger. "It's not like you're not making it **_easy_** for me. It's not like I _want_ to be here, and I know very well that _you_ don't want me here. That we can agree on. I _assure_ you; I'll act polite and smile for you at the _appropriate_ _time_ , Kira-Warden. I don't want to endanger them, _or_ myself."

From what she mentioned to him about Dad, she said with such conviction. The display in her expression also seemed believable. "Good... So, what the hell were you thinking earlier? Just how were you going to get away, dressed like that?" Light crossed his arms. "It's rather cold out... You hadn't planned very far ahead."

Mari's reply was short, and vague. "It doesn't matter. _Not anymore_. You're probably better off not knowing." She started to lower herself, but she was moving a bit too slow.

For right now, he suppose he could let it go. This wasn't going to be unknown forever, and he knew he wasn't going to let that drop until she would fess up to him.

"Don't bother bending over if you're hurt too much. Let's not waste time," Light told her. "Just stand off to the side, and don't move."

"And stay where you can see me? Yeah, yeah..."

They both knew that bravado she put on wasn't fooling anyone. She was so terrified. She was even _more_ terrified to let him see that she was. There may come a time in the not distant future in which she might feel less snappish and bitchy, a little at a time—but he wasn't going to let that get to his head. He wasn't going let his guard down as long as he had her around. As he was scowling and picking up the mess, that was when she gave him the false name.

"By the way? My fake name will be Mari Broderick. That is all."

As soon as she said that, there was a distant high pitched noise, something electronic. That was when Light heard his mind silently scream, _Damn it, **WHAT NOW**?!_ Really, he didn't know how much more absurd happenings he could take until he'd explode.

He looked to Mari, who looked toward the stairs, perplexed. "What's that beeping sound...?"

Light regarded her warily before deciding to mention the strange cell phone anomaly. "I think I might have an idea. Recently, something else just happened to show up around me, not just you and the notebook..."

He explained all about the odd phone shaped device as he hurriedly finished gathering up all those pens, before putting them in the cup. As he did, they continued to hear the device, that chirped at what must have been every thirty seconds. "So, what do _you_ think? Is there some kind of connection going on here, or is it all just coincidence?"

Mari shrugged, and didn't make much of an effort to think about it. She was trying evade him _again_. "No idea. I just know such a phone is definitely not mine."

"Let's go," Light commanded, motioning to the stairs. "You first." He didn't trust her to _follow_ _him_ , for he believed that she may try to seek the opportunity to run away again.

However, truth be told, they found out the device actually _was_ for Mari--or at least it had been prepared for her.

Light thought back to the time she looked so scared as he gave to her. When it came down to it, she was mostly a _scared little girl_ on the inside. It was so easy to see through her. Little by little, as he would predict, the information she knew would spill. "Wh-what the _hell_?"

"My thoughts exactly," he replied. He paused a moment to consider. _What other higher powers that be **are there**? This is getting to be too much... _**"I** f a Shinigami hadn't sent you here, could it be some _other_ kind of god, or two? A Shinigami drops a notebook from the sky. Another strange being leaves this device, and now here _you_ are."

She blinked at him in horror as a soft stammer came out. "M-Maybe you're just thinking too much."

When he showed her to the spare bedroom reserved for people his mother would take in, because she would feel sorry for them. She would feel just as sorry for Mari later--once he would think up a convincingly tragic story to tell them.

"I need to think for a little while," Light said. Mari was still taken back from the last thing he said to really say anything as she sat down on the bed, so he proceeded to give her a simple instruction. "Until I come back, I want you to find out _what that does_ , if you can." He lowered himself to look at her evenly at eye level. He applied a warning. "Stay here. The door to this room is going to stay open. I'll be leaving my door open too, so I hear you try to sneak out, you're only asking for more trouble."

"Whatever," she breathed, and looked away from him.

He moved her face so she could look him in the eyes. His eyes narrowed as he addressed the matter . "You're going to be here for quite a while, Mari Broderick. There's a lot you seem to know and, for _some_ reason-you don't wish to tell me. That's going to change..." His eyes burned with determination as he added, "I believe you were sent here for a reason. There's no point in denying it."

She glared that fierce glare of hers, and smacked his hand away. "Go plot then. **_Do it_**. I'll look at the damn thing. I'm not going anywhere. But just so we are clear; I'm _not_ someone you can just control. I can only agree to cooperate to an **_extent_** _._ "

"We'll see about that." Light calmly stood up, and rubbed his eyelids a little. The few hours to come were going to be very long and strenuous. Sometime later, he might receive a headache from all this. "May I ask you one more thing?"

She glared at him more. "Whatever. Go ahead."

"Is there something in particular that you have against me? I don't know anything about you right now, and it seems to me the things you shouldn't know cause you to despise me..." He glowered. "Don't tell me it's because I hurt you. We both know that's not it."

"You're seriously _asking me that_?" Mari inhaled a shaky breath before letting it out. She looked nervous as her eyes lowered.

Light stared, his eyes boring in on her. "I am."

"Fine. Better get it out of the way then..." She breathed in once more, and slowly shook her head before she looked to him again. "I cannot stand that someone like you actually exists. I _never_ wanted to find this out... No matter how much you want to believe you're the good guy--you're _twisted_." Her arms were trembling as she found it hard to keep her eyes focused on his. "You lie to the people you love, just so you can keep using the Death Note. You resent murderers and the like, and you believe you're so much better to justify their actions with murder. None of that bothers you, like it would bother _me..._ "

Her voice cracked, and then became thicker. Through the dim light coming from the window in the spare bedroom, two slivers of tears streamed down her face. "I wouldn't be able to do it. I _value_ life too much. It's a crazy world, sure, but is it any **_less_** crazy to change it with a _killer notebook_? To make good use out of something so _evil_? Are you _really_ being selfless here for the greater good, Light?"

It was right then that he wondered how old Mari was. She looked a little older than him, or maybe she was in her twenties. In some spec of respect, Light discovered she was a little more intelligent than he had initially thought.

At first, her statement of accusations startled him as he heard them. Her resentment combined with that cut right into him like cold steel. The questions she asked had brought a wave of some indescribable feeling, some mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You know _way_ too much..." That was all he could say for that moment that somehow had taken longer to pass than usual--until he felt very suspicious about her taking the Death Note again. He began to realize that he had assumed wrong about Mari.

She didn't want to take the notebook to use it. No, she was trying to do something completely _opposite_ of that.

Light looked at her with utmost intensity, his voice low and calm. "Mari... I want you to be _honest_ with me on something."

Her shoulders tensed as she looked to him. Her eyes widened a little.

"No more dodging the subject," Light insisted.

Very hesitantly, Mari nodded.

"You took the Death Note to get rid of it. You didn't want me _finding out_ about it either, and you were searching the drawers for something."

"Please don't be mad," Mari whispered.

From the building terror and how her voice had shrunk so fast, Light could see that this was true. The look on her face told him a silent _Oh Shit_ expression _._ He sat down on the mattress beside her. "What were you looking for in the drawers?"

From the dim light coming from the spare bedroom window, he could see her face was paling. She was scooting away from him.

Light remembered how much she had tried to repel this question away. He now knew why. _She ALMOST **DESTROYED the Death Note**_ , he heard his mind scream. He blew out a heavy sigh, and quelled down the raw and hot rage he felt. _That was close, **TOO CLOSE**!_

She really is a threat to everything **, whoever** this damn woman really is...

"U-Understand... I had the best intentions in mind," Mari whimpered.

Part of himself just wanted to end Mari **_here and now_** , while another part of him pitied her. He also believed she asked the right questions, and in some small pathetic light he felt she was right on _some_ of the things she said about him.

Whether or not her actions were really well-intended, wherever she came from, he now realized what she meant by _paranoid_ , to some degree. Whatever kind of god or other mythical being that sent her his way _had_ to know she would have to die, eventually. He wasn't sure what the purpose of her being here was, not yet, but it deeply angered him to no end that she had almost got away with disposing of the Death Note.

He'd have to keep an eye on her as much as he could, and he wasn't looking forward to _that_ at all. Learning more about her and knowing how and why she knew about him and his family was at least going to be _something_ interesting. That, and what the phone did, were the things he would forward to later.

The new world had to come. It was counting on him. It would come whether Mari liked it or not, and there was _nothing_ she could do or say to prevent it.

As he felt this, Light felt he could spare her a little mercy right now.

"Let me explain something to you... This world needs to _change_. I understand how you feel about how I do it, I really do, but the _law_ is fractured. Corrupted. It **_can't_** go on like this." He glowered. "I'm sure there must be _some_ people you feel don't deserve to live."

The soft reply she gave surprised him a bit. "No I don't."

He stared at her, expressionless. "You've never felt that way about anyone?"

She shook her head no. The voice she carried now was a small and timid one. "I... I never grew up around much crime. Never felt or thought that way about even the people I never got along with."

Light lowered his head a bit in thought. "Maybe you're a sentimental pacifist." He paused. "Look, someone needs to _clean up_ this rotten world. There should be a world where only honest and the good-hearted exist. With the Death Note, I can accomplish that."

The crude attitude didn't come springing back this time, to which was a nice change for once. (That was the one trait about her he really despised.) For the time being, Mari was quiet.

"You already know about that, right? You probably already know my place in the new world... I can't have you or anyone standing in _my way_. Just because you're someone who just happens to be here, wrong place at the wrong time, you're _not_ excused." He leaned forward. "You almost ruined **_everything_**."

Mari sat still, and didn't look at him as more tears were leaking out. Again, she spoke softly. "So, I'll just be another expendable person to you. Is that it?"

Light wondered slightly if she said that in resentment, or in fear. He almost told her that _yes_ , she most certainly **_WOULD_** die by his hand someday, but this was too far ahead to decide. "It really depends on how cooperative you'll _be_. I'm not sure about this deity of yours, or why it sent you here--and I won’t decide to do anything about you, not until I know more."

Mari shivered. "Th-this is going to suck. How can I _stay_ _here_ while you continue to...?"

He looked at her, unamused. "I know what I'm doing bothers you, a _lot_. Although I have to ask; do you feel _sympathy_ for criminals?"

"No, that's not it..." She shook her head. "That power is _so_ _corruptible_. The more you use it, you'll..." She inhaled sharply. "I won't help you with _that_ , and I don't know how I'll stomach it when..."

Again, she was to be pitied. He realized that she must have felt like the most unfortunate person in the world right now--not that he necessarily felt sorry for Mari. He only understood. "Will you feel _compelled_ to try and stop me, Mari?" _Because if you do, you'll **know** what will happen._

"I won't **_touch it_** again, if that's what you're asking. No, I'm not going to repeat that mistake." She looked to him, crying her pitiful tears. "I just won't _help you_ with that. I can't sit and do _nothing_ either. I don't really want to fight you—no. That would be exhausting. I know it... But I’d rather not watch you **_destroy_** yourself."

Light stood up, annoyed. _Such a **nuisance.** Is she really going to be like this the **whole time?**_ " _Destroy myself_? I know better than that... It's the _world_ that must be saved. It's not just about _us_... It's because of people who'd feel the way you do is the reason why **_anyone else_** can't know about the notebook. Got it?"

Mari said nothing for a long minute as he felt he like he needed to leave. Light told himself that he shouldn't let all she said bother him. No. He would stray far from his noble mission to make this world a utopia if he did! "We'll talk more later. Right now, I have to think about what to tell my parents about you, and..." He picked up the sleek device from between them on the mattress, and placed it into her hands. "You can figure out what _this_ does while I do."

She looked down at it in silence. The screen lit up and the text of the given name she gave him faded into view just after. "Just do as I tell you, and _don't_ get in my way. As long as you do that, we'll have less problems," Light said, as he moved towards his bedroom.

For a while, Light had been in his room on the computer. He hadn't been able to come up with something for an alibi for Mari by himself, so he started looking up online articles for some inspiration. Her words still ticked loud and clear in his inner clockwork, causing him to sulk in his chair. Her sentimentalism was not needed. He didn't **_want_** anyone saving him, or stopping him, especially not her! He was a _new_ brand of **_JUSTICE,_** without flaws and nothing that would lead the police straight to Light's doorstep. Those responsible for their wicked deeds just dropped dead to the ground. They would come to fear his will, and people will start to change their ways. Violence and wars would end. There would be no more world hunger. The world's most deadly diseases would be cured.

Things like that mattered _so much more_. Light would use the Death Note to make them happen. Mari whole-heartedly resented it, but so _what_?

Maybe she would one day realize this during the time she'd have to stay, maybe not. He just knew her **_feelings_** weren't going to change a damn thing...

_Arsonist. Aparment building burned down. Three people died_ , Light calculated as he was skimming over an online newspaper article. The apartment was somewhere not very far from here. Light could say to Dad that he found Mari wandering around because she was scared of the fire, was the sole survivor and took pity on her. It would work out. Light could add that everything burned away in the fire, so that would be why she didn't have any belongings or clothes with her. Yeah, that _should_ work.

On occasion, he heard a soft gasps, shaky breathing, or hiccups from Mari in the room next door, yet he tried not to let her crying bother him. He didn't even want to think about her or her heavy baggage of **_drama_** right now. She had her task to do, and she just needed some time alone. Maybe it would do them both some good if they spent a little bit more time away from each other.

He decided to spend a curious minute or two to look up information about "Kira", before he would go check back with her. (Could she truly be right about people knowing of his work, calling him by this name?) However, as he was about to left click the search button, her breaths were becoming sharper, and a bit louder. This prompted him to sigh and get out of his chair. He'd better go check on her then. _Is she having a **panic attack**? Damn it..._

Just what was this other entity's **_deal_**? Did it get pleasure out of her being there to _irritate_ him? It must have gotten pleasure to just let her _suffer_. Her suffering added onto his--such a _pain_. At least the Shinigami did something acceptable to drop the Death Note for him to pick up. This other being was, if anything, a horrible trickster. He didn't need anybody already knowing about him and the notebook! He didn't need this **_AT_** **_ALL_**!

He just wanted to be left the hell **_alone._** However, considering the gods that found great interest in him for whatever reason; that was possibly too much to ask of them.

* * *

**Holy crap. Kira-Light, you're a real scary energy drainer of a muse! It's taken me over a WEEK or so to get all this written! He's been out to ruin Collide from the beginning I started, sometime after meeting AU in my nexus for a head-space. AU hurt his brain a little, and because he learned form AU that Sim got Death Note in Collide... Yeah, so, Crawl just might be the second best thing for Kira-Light... She's not to be underestimated though. *GRIN***


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic right here...is a toughie to write. It's just so intense, scary, and gripping. Also, because Light is Kira-Light in this, it makes me glad AU Light and my Sim are pals in my other story, "Collide"! 
> 
> This has got to be about 40 pages long, according to Microsoft Word. Writing, finishing, and revising this took me a little over two weeks!

_\- You never thought I'd get this far beneath your skin. –_

* * *

Marianne let go of the device onto the mattress she sat on. All the panicky and angry thoughts into the text that appeared on the blue screen, as soon as they came to her mind, were gone. The screen had gone black, as if it had been turned off the moment she moved her hands away. As she kept both eyes on it, the technology from the "god" or whatever it was that magically placed her _on the floor by Light Yagami's bed_ , she waited for it to answer all her demanding questions. With a quiet and frantic desperation, she waited while she tried to regulate her breathing.

What felt like a few seconds had passed. Nothing happened. "Please," she heard herself whispering. She didn't know what else to do but _plea_ to the one who abducted her. _Maybe the **being** is trying to think of a way to explain._

She didn't know anything about this more mysterious captor of an _even higher_ power than Shinigami and their scary notebooks; what it was, what gender it was, where it came from, or what the hell inspired it to do this to her. She didn't know why she was here, or why it had to be **_DEATH NOTE_**. Of all fandoms, why did _this one_ have to be real?! If it had to be a very violently dark manga or anime, then why couldn’t it have picked _Darker Than Black_?! One of the most remorseless and dangerous killers in that was essentially a Chinese Electric Batman, and he actually **_GAVE a damn_** about innocent people! _Hei_ wasn't a cold and cunning hypocrite, or **_sociopath_**! _Hei_ wouldn't have really threatened to kill her, or make her a hostage! He even had this awesome talking black cat for a partner in crime named Mao, who could hack into any computer. There was also the other one--a cute blind girl, Yin, who said little but could send out a surveillance specter by dipping a hand or foot into water... Oh, and there was no forgetting about the Gloomy Gus who often smoked and drank his sorrows away.

_That_ fandom was her most favorite. Those characters would have offered more than just a tiny shred of mercy for her. It could have been a not-so-bad experience then, an adventure even. Everything would seem more tolerable if she discovered that fandom was for real--but _noooo_! She had to get tackled, pinned, and have her _hair pulled_ by an insane rich kid who wanted to play _God_. She just _had_ to wake up in a bedroom where that serial killer was sleeping.

She thought Light was going to yank her curls out by their roots! _Damn_ , that hurt...

During those horrifying and on-stretching seconds, she knew that he almost decided to murder her. Yet, he didn’t, because he realized she had been right. They both knew that killing without a Death Note would be really messy. Killing by knife, gun, or any other typical way for somebody to commit murder left behind evidence—either a little or a lot. Not that all of it would be cleaned up, because there would always be something for the detectives and forensic experts to find. (It would be typical for someone as clever as Light Yagami, who knew very well how the law worked, to know this. Anyone who watched a bit of prime time TV shows about cops like Marianne used to would know this too.) In using whatever type of evidence the police could get their hands on, it would trail back to Light Yagami if he had chosen to let his bad temper take over and have her die a horrible death.

Murder in Marianne’s strong opinion was messy no matter how clean Light would make it look. There was also a weight that came with knowing you have taken someone’s life away. Murder was a _grisly_ and _very_ risky business to take part in. Marianne knew she wouldn’t have the guts to actually kill someone, a real living person. The concept of suicide scared her too. She’d even feel unhappy if she were riding in the car with someone when he or she happened to hit an animal in the middle of the road. Killing animals wasn’t something she could bring herself to do either. Life was just too precious. There was also so much more to being alive than being dead. For herself, she would very much like to stay that way.

Provoking him or scaring Light to stall so she make room for any escape route that led to the outcome of _staying alive_ had been a careless and near fatal mistake. It had been _way_ too close of a call! Marianne honestly didn’t want to have to go through another situation in which Light used pain and threats to make her talk. This wasn’t anything like watching TV or reading a book. Being in what _was_ a fictional world was something very different, and she would have to start taking Kira-Warden and their surroundings much more seriously. Otherwise, she would most definitely get herself killed.

Why did this Creep from Beyond have to pick on her, anyway? (Maybe _that's_ what she should start calling the all-powerful creature who was doing practically _SQUAT_ to help her out. That's what it really was to her, a **_creep_**.) Did she do something wrong? Did she do anything in particular to direct attention towards it...? _No, that can't be it. **NONE** of this is my fault! How could it be?! I didn’t hurt anybody, or anger anybody before this! Not that I know of!_

What did the Creep from Beyond have to prove anyway by having her know that Light, the nasty murder notebook of supernaturally evil power, and all else she knew about the Death Note manga and anime was _real_? Was she some insane supernatural being's _plaything_ now, similar to how Ryuk would soon see Light, AKA Kira, as a source of entertainment?! (What about the live-action movies she originally planned on watching after the anime all the way through? Was there some sort of equivalent from _them_ somewhere in this, apart from her greatest misfortune of meeting Light as a very real and irate looking seventeen year old Japanese boy?)

Did the creep who let that horrifying encounter happen **_ALSO_** see Light as entertainment?! Was Light thinking about that right now?

The amount of questions without answers felt like this overwhelming pile of terror on the inside. Her brain at the same time hadn’t stopped scrambling to find a way out of this dangerous trap of an arrangement Light had ensnared her in. Just as the jumbled up questions were restlessly making her feel so afraid, Marianne found herself unable to _not think_ about how much it would bother her in having to deal with it all. She knew staying around Kira-Warden wasn't going to be any fun! She knew **_HE_** knew that he would keep writing the names of criminals while she'd have to _stand by_ and do **_NOTHING_** **_ABOUT IT_**! The guilt and fear would be such a heavy burden for her.

The mystical sadist arranged for Light to give the device to her still wasn't sending anything back; no explanations, no taunts, no laughter. _Nothing_. (It _had_ to be a sadist. Why **_ELSE_** would her alien abductor allow Light to find her with the Death Note?!)

" _Please_..." The repeat of her innocent little plea had come out as a whimper. She didn't even try to hold back her tears and sobs as she felt her chest _and_ _throat_ tightening in terror once more. Her heart sped up and throbbed so hard inside its ribcage--as if it knew too well about how it could come to a **_complete stop_** if Marianne's real name was ever found out. It would be so obvious. Light would write it down into that nasty evil black notebook he had taken back for himself. He would do it at a time of his choosing, without having to think about it. ( _No, no, no-no-no she could NEVER let that happen!)_

Panic swept over her so fast. Her mind screamed, _I should have blocked the door! **I SHOULD HAVE BLOCKED THE DOOR! I SHOULD HAVE BLOCKED THE DOOR!**_

Of all that slow and silent movement, of telling herself to not even _breathe_ much, and to be very, _very quiet_ to get the Death Note out of the drawer, slowly slide it closed, and ever so quietly turn the lock to the handle on the door and close it behind her did _nothing_. All those accomplished actions were in vain, because she didn't give herself any extra time to **_BLOCK_** his damn **_DOOR_**!

Marianne had failed. She had horribly, _horribly_ failed.

_Biggest mistake of my life!_ **_BIGGEST, MOST STUPIDEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!_** _Is that how it's going to be?! Will he forever **LAUGH** at me for making it?!_

Marianne's own paranoia from before, of waking Light up and what would have happened next had come true. The consequences she was facing would lead to her undoing, and she _knew it_! In the long run, once Light had pressed and threatened to get everything he'd want to know out of her, he would come up with the plan to _KILL her_! He would do it somewhere unseen, and make her disappear forever. He'd dispose of her body somewhere, and then tell his family the most sensible heart-wrenching story to _cover it up_!

She wouldn't see her family and friends back in her world again. No one but that _heartless_ and vicious kid would know of her demise. She would die due to not being careful enough, in tow with her lack of knowledge as to where the Yagami family kept something so simple and common as a _box of matches_.

The grim reality of her shitty situation was so painful, scary, and despairing that she didn’t want to accept it. **_NO_**! She couldn’t let Light **_DO THIS TO HER_**!

_Oh God I don't want to be here. God, please. I can't be here! You **know** that! I **need** to go **HOME**! _ **_I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!_ **

Her heart was beating so fast and hard against her chest, and it was getting harder for her to breathe. As Marianne swore she could hear herself inwardly screaming earlier, she all of a sudden couldn't hear that anymore as she started to feel herself almost gasping for each breath. She was drowning in her own fear, in knowing that everything was going so wrong, and _so fast_. She could feel her the horror of her own life ending trying to suffocate her. Her ceaseless inner voice of terror synchronized with each sharp breath she took.

_I. Don't. Want. To. Die. I. Have. A life. A home. I. Can't. Die. Need. Mom. Need. Dad. Can't. Die. CAN'T. **DIE!**_

Just as she was beginning to hyperventilate, she saw him standing in the doorway to the room he had left her in; Light Yagami. Kira-Warden, the serial killer of warped justice.

Marianne's felt her breath get caught in her throat as she felt herself trembling uncontrollably. Through the glow of the moonlight coming in through the one window, she could see his irritated expression. A part of her so badly wanted to escape, but she sure as hell _couldn't_. Light was blocking the only way out for the moment—unless she wanted to try and open up the window. No, that wouldn’t work! He’d grab or tackle her _VERY_ fast, before she could even succeed in figuring how to get it open. He'd start pulling her hair and sound so menacing again.

She couldn't stop her body from shaking as she could recall everything that had happened between them up to the point he had left her to figure out the weird texting device.

_He heard me. He must have heard my heavy breathing, or something. He knows I’m so scared. Shit, I'm probably going to die right now..._

She wondered for a split second if she could fight past him--but no, she had already tried that when she had attempted to burn the damn Death Note! She couldn't fight him at all. What in this world did he _eat_? It couldn't possibly be a bowl of Wheaties! It had to be more than that, right? Did he ever get a chance to work out in between being at school and being at home? He had used his own weight to pin her to the floor, so he definitely wasn't light-weight. Of course, he had a really firm grip of her hair too. Bastard.

Light's death glare lessened as he walked in.

Marianne's mind, once more, began to scramble and stumble to find a way to stay alive. _He wants information. He demands to know how I know what he knows. If I prolong that, maybe I'll have enough time to escape. Long enough for L, or his dad-- **SOMEBODY** to help me get away from him! But if I'm to tell Light anything to keep **living**..._

She gathered all the willpower she had, and held onto it. No matter what, she **_shouldn't run_** from him, for she knew that wasn’t a good option. She stayed where she was, trembling so badly on the bed as she watched him walk over.

"Calm down," he told her. "I'm not going to hurt you." The calm in his voice was low, and she could detect the bit of razor sharp edge to it as he sat down beside her. Marianne was certain that tone of voice carried an unsaid, _Not yet_ , or _Not unless I have to_.

She told herself to just breathe for a moment or two, before speaking. _At this rate I'll **definitely** die, possibly in under a week. _

If she didn't say anything to _prevent_ that, then Light would feel pressured to kill her in that amount of time. "L-Look," she whispered. The tears still came, but she ignored them right now. "Understand. I-If you constantly threaten t-to kill me, th-there will be this... knee-jerk reaction. From me." This meant that if he tried to rush her or push her, then she would push back to defend herself.

"As long as you don't make this harder than it already is," Light reasoned, "then it won't come down to that." His brown eyes bored into hers as he still looked somewhat aggravated with her.

She could feel herself glaring at him a little in return. She couldn’t help but feel so _mad_ at Light. He was someone who'd kill everyone in his own family, even his father, to save his own skin if he had to—because he’s **_KIRA_**! In fact, he was going to tell a story to his family just so he could keep her around. He lied to them behind their backs, constantly! How could Marianne ever trust him? How could she even _tolerate_ being around someone like that? She couldn't stand him already as she felt differently toward his parents and younger sister.

Soichiro, to what she knew about him, was awesome and _badass_ for two particular reasons. The first involved sometime in the not too distant future from now, when Misa was killing people at the Sakura TV station. Soichiro Yagami drove into the building in a van, after checking himself out of the hospital, just to get those tapes she made to broadcast all over Japan. He had a close call from a heart attack (a natural one, not from Light). The second reason was how he pulled it off to act crazily determined to kill Light then himself at a secluded spot in a car for a fake execution.

In reality, Marianne knew no father ever wanted to be put through that, or even have a _mass murderer_ for a son!

As for the rest of Light's family... Sayu was just an innocent young girl who looked up to him. He did have a soft spot for her, but who was to say Marianne being here would change that?! At this time she was, what, in middle school? Sayu would be a much younger kid than him! If it ever came down to her finding out just what her older brother did in his spare time, would he write her name down into the Death Note?

His mom, Sachiko, was a normal and loving mother. Just like Sayu, she was completely innocent—and unaware about the horrible person her son was becoming. There wasn’t a whole lot in the manga or anime mentioned about her, but that didn’t matter much to Marianne anymore. Sachiko existed as a real person. _That_ mattered so much more.

The fandom she enjoyed as only that has now become her worst nightmare, and possibly her own personal _hell_ to boot! Light’s family were very nice people—but it wasn’t like he was going to let her _rat him out_ to any of them!

Already, she felt so sorry for Soichiro, Sachiko, and Sayu. Marianne knew; trying to tell them of how terrible, selfish, and disrespectful Light was would be _futile_. Even if she managed to convince any of them, she would only cause him to _hurry up_ to find some way to murder them all, and get away with it.

With all this rushing to mind, she felt some more anger returning. She was able to speak a little above a whisper. Her voice steadied along with her body. She wasn't trembling _so much_ and shaking like a leaf on a branch in the blowing wind then. All the sharp and bitter resentment she felt toward the asshole was crafted into the words she spoke. The emotional levels of resentment spiked into key words along the wavy lines of her fear and anger. "The same to _you_. I know you'll find a way to get rid of me _one day_ , with lots thinking and _plotting_ involved. But if you keep reminding me of my _borrowed time_ , that won't help anyone."

"You know the way I think, too..." His watchful gaze became a little more wary and observant than before. "Of course you do." He was dissecting her one piece at a time in his mind, and then filing away any information he’d view as valuable into his memory.

Those cold steel words, and the way he looked at her when he said that made her tense up a little. _Shit. Maybe I shouldn't have said that._ "That's right." Marianne stopped and stilled her tongue right there. She held her glare and stopped herself from saying anything along the lines of, _And **that's** why I'm not someone you could really control. I'd likely be able to **tell** whenever you'll try to pull a nasty, sneaky trick on me._ That would only tick him off.

At least he would know and understand she couldn't be treated like a **_pawn_** , at least not so easily. She also remembered him telling her she was a nuisance and a danger towards him. By now, he would come to realize why. Marianne knew he wasn't being happy about having a hostage who knew how his mind worked. She'd be able to see through the outer mask he'd try to slip on to fool her. All the visual illusions he'd attempt to set up? Marianne would be able to know they were just that, and _only that_.

From the current expression Kira gave her, she knew she was indeed a hazard to his plans of world domination. Marianne was one hell of an obstacle to deal with. Anyone he'd see as an obstacle eventually died. Dying by his hand was something she'd rather avoid _at all costs_.

"To be _fair_ , I'll tell you how I know what I know, just to get it out of the way. A little less interrogation, stress, and shit for the both of us." _You'll understand me more when I tell you why I'd rather not be here, stuck with **you**._

As Marianne continued to glower at him in so much resentment, Light on the other hand seemed to be half agitated and half interested. He kept his undivided attention on her, and waited for her to continue.

She wiped away her tears. "First, I'll say this. I come from a parallel reality, a world very similar to this one--but _without_ death gods and Death Notes. They're not real, as the way they are here. The people there are the same way, as well as crime, and politics. All major locations and cultures in my Earth are the same as this one. The same holidays, too."

"Our worlds are almost identical... I already assumed that. You look and sound American. I'm assuming you must be from the United States in your world." Light frowned, not looking very interested to hear about such information. "However, none of that explains how you know who I am, about my family, and how the notebook works."

_I'm about to **get** to that part, Kira. _ "How I know about that in mine is this; you, your family, the Shinigami, and Death Notes are represented in a fictional story there. It's a manga and anime titled ‘Death Note’. There's some live-action films too."

Her captor lowered his head, acknowledging this information. "I'm a popular story character, then?" He looked directly back at her, his eyes making laser-like contact with hers, attempting to dissect her further, almost through her. It was intimidating, causing Marianne to squirm a little uncomfortably from where she sat. "It's _my_ story, in your world?"

Marianne's gaze of loathing toward him wasn't as focused, or steady. "It's mainly your story, yes. There are other people, your family among them, but you're a central character... There’s also the bored rogue Shinigami, named Ryuk, who drops a Death Note. It lands on the front lawn of your high school, Daikoku Private Academy. _You_ notice it, pick it up, and take it home with you. That's how it all starts."

Light’s rapt attention never wavered as he pointed out, "Ryuk. You mentioned him before."

"Yeah. He claimed ownership over it, for the purpose of dropping it to the human world. You just happened to notice it drop." She chose not to say that Ryuk stole it from another Shinigami, Sidoh. _I might not get to live for that long, anyway_ , she sulked privately to herself. This sulk she felt lingered and came out through her voice as she added, "I guess we'll _both_ see him for ourselves, eventually... Those who touch that notebook of death will be able to see and hear him."

"Is that right...?" Light asked the question with interest to his tone. He slowly blinked his eyes once, and a small smile emerged. Was that his ego inflating, or did he find Marianne setting herself up to be known to Ryuk _funny_?

From the way he paused and looked at Marianne, she shuddered a bit. _I know what he’s going to say next. So creepy..._

"So, from the point I pick up the notebook up to right about now—apart from your sudden appearance—it’s happened just as you read and watched it?"

"Just about," Marianne glowered.

She was refusing to let him disturb or scare her further. She’d rather be angry. Anger would fuel her to take action, or say something to get him not to scare her too much. She preferred anger over fear, because she refused to let herself cower, cave into herself, and act like a faithful servant, or Kira worshipper. Marianne was also so against acting like his _girlfriend_. No, she just would not turn into a similar version of the dumb and obnoxious blonde model of a girl who’d fall head over heels for him in the near future—Misa Amane.

Marianne never really liked her as a character in the fandom, when it used to be just that. Misa, in the manga and anime, became an overall sorry excuse for a young woman once she received a Death Note of her own. She lacked the brains to do as little as even _suspect_ that Light would be using her for _his own gain_. Instead, Misa hoped he’d love her. She accepted and adored Light when he _acted_ like he loved her. Of course, he never really did, or would in this reality. Misa would be seen as just a tool, a weapon of mass destruction. She would be useful to him for two main things; her Shinigami sight when she willingly made a pact with her Shinigami guardian, and her blind devotion to serve his cause as the Second Kira.

The only thing that was ever any good about that gothic bimbo Barbie was her Shinigami guardian, Rem. In Marianne’s view point, she was _awesome_. Her overall desire to fully support and protect her led to her very sad end. Rem sacrificed herself to save Misa, no thanks to the awful plotting of the damn _original_ Kira. She was also unlike most of the other Shinigami. Unlike Ryuk and most of the others up in their barren desert of a world above, Rem held a general _respect_ towards humans, even though she had to write their names down to keep extending her own life-span.

Marianne knew all about Misa and Rem too well. It was common knowledge for anybody else who got into the Death Note series. She didn't have to think over anything. Acting like an idiot blind to the fact that she would only be used as a tool just _wasn’t_ the way to go, not for her. That would be degrading, pathetic, and foolish. She’d hate herself so damn much if she ever sunk that low! It wasn’t any better than the outcome she let her alien abductor know about; becoming someone with a mental disorder similar to the Stockholm Syndrome around Light.

"I'm not sure if everything you explained is true, yet you have been honest on some obvious details. You recognized me for who I was the moment I found you." Light paused to glare at her coldly before he continued picking at her for answers. He wasn’t hiding it at all that it thoroughly irritated him to know she knew him as well as the back of her hand.

Marianne could see and feel the suspicion coming from Light. There was no mistaking it, from the way _his eyes **looked**_ at her.

"The story you know is obviously very memorable to you. You know all too well about me, and about the notebook. You know this Ryuk well enough--but you could be lying about some of this."

"There's the option of confirming some of those things _with him_ ," Marianne pointed out. Similar to Light, she didn’t hide the agitation she felt towards him. The way she looked and spoke to him she was absolutely deliberate about; she resented, feared, and despised him. She knew she always would as long as she remained under his watch. "Ryuk won’t have much to hide. I have no reason to lie about him, or anything else I've gone over. Not that I could hide it very well... I actually prefer _not_ to meet Creepy Clown Face, but _I know_ there's just no avoiding it." _He'd find me hilarious. He'd troll me and creep the shit out of me at his own **leisure**._

_Hell no_ , she was _not_ looking forward to meeting that reaper creeper. There was nothing but complete loathing and hate about being sent to this alternate reality. She knew she was going to **_hate_** having to be around Ryuk and Light, Light in particular who could sleep soundly while the body count of criminals would continue to rise. As for Ryuk, she knew he _loved_ chaos, violence, and death. He found it all of that to be **_FUN_**! He’d go into hysterics and enjoy the show Light would put on for him. He’d get all excited and feel entertained as he’d eat one juicy red apple after another. He’d be so entertained by Marianne too. More unsettling and upsetting conflicts against Light to survive and cling onto her sanity weren’t far away. Ryuk would go into hysterics as he’d _watch_.

Why? Why her? What made the Creep from Beyond notice _HER_?! Why would it want to cause so much trouble in the first place?!

A trio of wickedness; she was going to feel _surrounded_ by two supernatural beings and a wannabe supernatural being that all deserved to be locked away _forever_ in an asylum. The terrible ordeal of what was to come loomed over her. The darkest of storm clouds were heading her way as she covered her face with both hands. What her time being alive would come down to wouldn’t be something she’d ever be able to _break away_ from. How was she going to make it through the day or two, let alone a **_WEEK_**?!

The realization rushed and shoved itself to settle in Marianne’s panicky yammering brain. She was starting to tremble in place again as she found it so hard to deny the miserable and terrifying times she'd have in the company of Kira and his Shinigami spectator--and an some alien monster who might _also_ reveal itself later.

If only this could have been a bad dream to wake up from, then she would have been safe. She would have been back in her bed, in her own room within her Earth, her universe. Then she would have not gone back to sleep while she’d go do something to forget about it all!

_There's **GOT** to be a way to have this stop, before it gets **MUCH WORSE**!_

As she slowly lowered her hands, her eyes focused on Light again. He looked back--not saying anything. He was just looking at her, studying her. She was an unexpected and unwanted visitor of mystery, and she could feel herself shrinking inward knowing this. On the inside, she felt so small now. She was a complicated new _virus_ under a _microscope_ or something, to Light. That had to be it. She was a type of problem that needed to be carefully examined, picked at, labeled, quarantined, and then safely disposed of before anything would get out from under his control, without leaving any mess behind. He might also want to see what made Marianne _tick_ before her time in captivity would be over.

As they both would progress through that procedure, he would continue his attempt to recreate this world, becoming more and more heartless--more insane--while doing it. Once L stepped up to set that broadcast, with that man who would be scheduled to face the death penalty, the intense battle of wits would start. It would be the most deadliest combination of chess and hide and seek, unseen and unknown to anyone but Light, L, the Kira investigation task force, and Marianne herself.

A gnawing pit opened up in her stomach as Light had an expression toward her she could read as, _Aha. I see..._

"You never wanted to know about me being real," he said. He sounded like he had received an interesting leak of information about what she thought and felt right now. "You never wanted to find out the Death Note, Ryuk, and myself--this world entirely—exists."

For Light to say so _just_ as she knew what near future horrors awaited--that creeped her out. His words in that instant had cut her so deep. They gave her the ultimate chills as fear and anger meshed together to have Marianne look at the asshole with a fierce hatred. She felt enraged as her words came right out into a hissing whisper that sounded so loud to her. Her furious stream of words slipped out so fast in that knee-jerk reaction she had warned Light about. " _No fucking **shit** , Kira_. Are you amused? Do you _enjoy_ watching me **_shiver_** , and suffer like this?"

An icy glare broke through his previous thoughtful expression of that self-centered discovery. To go with that, he spoke in a low tone of warning. "No, Mari. I don’t. I don’t take any delight in watching others suffer. That’s not what I’m about, and you _know it_." His glare and voice intensified a notch. "I stand _against_ that. Those who get pleasure out of that are _scum_. You know I intend to eliminate people like that. I’m not to be compared with them, or to be antagonized like that. I’ll let it _slide_ though, but just this once."

He sounded like he was halfway there to hurting Marianne again, so she didn’t respond. She looked away from him. It didn’t mean she was going to stop feeling so pissed off at him. She still hated him for the entrapment. She still hated how he had just gotten under her skin. Light wouldn’t quit being scary, cruel, and verbally **_pushy_** toward her. This arrangement to have her stay where he would see her wasn’t going so well right now.

Light wasn't finished in lecturing her. Not quite. He calmed himself, just barely, as he continued. "I’m not keeping you here because I want to. We already came to a mutual agreement that you shouldn’t be here. You’d rather be back in your world, but apparently your fickle god has other ideas. From the way it has set it for me to give you a strange device it prepared, it makes me wonder if there must be a reason, or purpose as to it _brought you here_."

She flinched, feeling herself glare so hard. _PURPOSE_?! No, **_no_**! There _couldn’t_ be a purpose for her being here! Not really! In her own honest opinion, the Creep from Beyond was playing a sick, twisted _joke_ on them! _FUCK! I’M SO SCREWED! I’m..._

_AGAIN, with him calling that thing **MY GOD**_! It came as another swift and heavy blow to her gut. Light almost sounded like he was telling her she ought to **_WORSHIP IT_**! She _didn’t_! She felt the exact same way about her supernatural _troll_ that plucked and teleported her inside this house—what could be called as her prison now—the exact same way she would feel towards the _other_ supernatural troll, once he would come down from the Shinigami Realm.

Marianne took in a deep breath, and gained some self control. Snapping at him again would be reckless, and dangerous. Angering Light to the point of him hurting her was something that needed to be avoided. Her death would likely come sometime soon after that.

Her voice sounded like someone was pinching a little at her vocal chords. The tears streamed down from her eyes effortlessly in effect to Light pounding the cold and vile truth to her with his words. "I prefer to call it the _Creep from Beyond_. Or alien abductor. It doesn’t even deserve such a title as _god_. I would never revere it as that. It may have god-like power, but I’m _not_ its follower."

"No. You’re more like its unwilling pawn." Light breathed out a sigh. From there, his mood lowered from dangerously angry to frustrated. "All right. Fine. We’ll omit that word to describe it. Whatever makes you feel better... For some reason, it wanted to have you here and find out I’m real. All this..." She glanced at him to see him wave out an arm to indicate this world. "Real. Maybe it also wanted me to find out I’m a character in a manga in your world, through you. Why else would it decide to send you here?" He looked so agitated. "Whether or not _more_ people like you will show up is something else we need to keep in mind."

"F-F-For both our sakes, let’s hope not." Marianne shivered. "It’s overwhelming enough..." _Do you HAVE TO SCARE ME EVEN **MORE**?!_ She couldn’t let herself _think_ about that! A frightening and flashing vision of a possible scenario included Light’s temper erupting and being so threatening towards any other unfortunate soul the alien sadist decided to deliver to him was mentally shoved away the moment it popped up into her brain. No, she didn’t want to think about **_any_** of that!

Light nodded, and looked to her in cold annoyance. "I agree. One visitor from another dimension is more than enough." The bad mood he gave off sorely reminded Marianne of how terrifying and nasty he really was. _Sorely_ , because her body still ached a little from all the pain he caused her.

The terror she felt was so cold and tight as she looked away from those brown eyes. The chill from looking into the windows of his dark abyss for a corrupted soul a little too long had caused it.

Marianne could hear her moaning thoughts. _I can’t let him go on like this. It’ll get much, much worse overtime. It will get **so bad**. I won’t last long. I might die before L does anything... _

"There is so much that needs to be sorted out, including that mysterious device your alien prepared for you, but there’s not much to discuss if we’re constantly at each other’s throats," Light explained. "As I contemplate your innocence, keeping your mouth _shut_ when you must and toning down your attitude is something for you to do. Especially around my family. No foul language around them. I have _no_ idea what kind of family background you came from, but my parents won’t approve of that kind of behavior." She heard him lean over, bringing his face closer. He asked the question as a low threat, his voice so close to her ear. "Will you be able to do that?"

"As I said," Marianne whispered. An involuntary shudder came over her as she felt it was getting harder to speak. "I respect your family..." _Don’t worry Kira; all my angst and complaining is something I’ll reserve just for you._

Light resumed to elaborate his own house rules toward her. "I _know_ that you know my father is a police chief, but you’re not to speak to him of the Death Note, _or_ my plans for the new world. In fact, I don’t trust you to be alone with him, because you’d probably take any chance you’d _get_ to tell him. I don’t trust you to be alone with my mother or Sayu either. I doubt they’d ever believe you, but then again, because you already know me so well..."

Marianne’s reply came out as a very small and strained whisper. "I won’t tell them. Don’t kill them. Please." _They’re hostages too, aren’t they? If someone finds out you’re Kira, over here... Damn it, I won’t go down knowing he’ll go after his family too. No, I **WON’T** let him..._ Then she sniffled, and still avoided looking at him. All the crying was making her nose run.

"Kill them?" Light paused a second, before he sounded undignified. "No. I wouldn’t _allow_ you to say any wrong thing in front of them about me. I love my family. That’s why we _know_ we must keep this to ourselves."

"We both know..." She swallowed, her whispers breaking a little at a time. "If you had to... If I didn’t cause any mess ups..."

 Marianne glanced to Light, whose averted gaze was solemn. His answer was so disheartening. "You’re probably right. If I had to choose between them and what I’m meant to do... Well, I don’t need to say it, do I? Although I won’t do it, unless it’s absolutely necessary." Then he looked at her, curious. "You only know them as story characters, yet you worry about their safety very much. I suppose it's not just a story to you anymore..." His mouth twitched to form a faint wintry grin. "I think we can come to an agreement in protecting them."

That look he had unsettled her as she looked away. The fear she felt had robbed her of speech entirely, so she decided to pick up the device. The screen glowed blue—and to her relief, all those printed thoughts she had directed to Creep from Beyond weren’t there anymore.

The interest and curiosity from Kira was evident in his voice as she couldn’t bring herself to look at him right now. "Did you find out anything interesting on that?"

Marianne processed a thought-speak answer into the phone looking thing. With concentration, she made the text appear as plain text—no italics or bold print. The emphasis wasn’t needed right this moment as she showed Light her response. Her careful sentences appeared as she thought them one at a time. "Yes I did. As I hold this thing, we both know what I’m thinking. I don’t know why, and I TRIED to get Creep from Beyond to explain what’s going on, thinking I could maybe communicate to it like that, but it didn’t work."

"I see," came Light’s response. He didn’t sound very impressed, not that it mattered to her. "Maybe the alien doesn’t like that nickname you came up with for it," Light suggested. "Whether or not it does, I think it's safe to assume it doesn’t seem to care about you much. It sent you without warning, or a clue. Not even some clothes for you to change in."

She didn’t let her mind wander as she enforced her brain to get a grip and do all the communicating for her. Her voice still wasn’t coming back yet. "I think it’s a sadist. It’s probably laughing at us. It probably has the same personality Ryuk does."

A very brief pause came from Light. An accurate assumption told Marianne he didn't know what she was on about. "What do you mean...?"

"Ryuk is a Shinigami who enjoys violence, insanity, and chaos for entertainment. He’d get a kick out of _me_ being so scared of _you_. Creep from Beyond I’m sure must like the same stuff, and finds us to be _hilarious_. They’re both _sickos_." Marianne sulked about this, her additional thoughts and feelings leaking out to appear on the screen of the fancy messenger thing she held. "Crazy trolls. Crazy trolls with nothing better to do. _Both_ of them must be bored."

Marianne glanced to Light for a second to see him looking at the white text on blue screen in shock, and then looked up at her, annoyed. "I wonder if they met each other."

As soon as he looked at her, she quickly looked back down at the device she held. The text read, "I wouldn’t be surprised if they became best friends..."

She could feel her own body muscles stiffen, realizing that this might be a good time to try and get him to **_stop_** being Kira. Maybe she could warn him of what was to come, make him think if world recreation would be really worth it! Would it work, though? Was Light Yagami still in there, or had the kid who wanted to follow in Soichiro’s footsteps for a career become just a _mask_ to fool mostly anybody?

"I _really_ have to ask; are you _sure_ this is the way you want to go?" Marianne could feel her hands grip firmer around the texting gadget. She proceeded to send forth more emphasis the way she would type it up towards a friend on an instant messenger. "I’m **_not_** trying to interfere. I **_know_** that will push you to kill me faster, but there’s something you have to understand... Ryuk is going to tell you that he will write your name down when he shows up. _You_ , writing into the Death Note to rid the world of all evil and bad people, it’s a death trap. Once he gets bored later, he will _write your name down_."

 She stopped there, and hoped that would make Light _wake up_ and see what he was doing was so very **_wrong_**. She reached him once! She got his attention before, so that was a _little_ hope to cling onto.

In looking to Light, she saw a bit of her own terror being reflected into him. It was as if she could use the telepathic text in the machine to mirror their emotions.

That look flickered and soon went away as he sounded so calm. "Maybe the good I’ll do for the new world will have him realize I can’t die."

This, of course, had upset Marianne. She desperately resorted to capitalizing her words. " ** _NO!_** That’s NOT what I _mean_! Remember what I said earlier, about destroying yourself? I MEANT THAT! The **_MORE_** you use the Death Note to kill criminals and anyone who gets in your way, the crazier you’ll _become_! It's a downward spiral waiting to HAPPEN unless you choose to **_STOP_**!"

"If it’s at the cost of my own sanity, I will continue to wipe up the vermin that pollutes human society," he told her. He sounded so firm on this it was worrisome for Marianne. "As much as this terrifies and troubles you, I assure you; this world is not going to miss those people once they are gone. You don't even belong here. Why would you worry so much about me?" His tone was both sardonic and bitter. "Earlier you said you couldn’t stand the fact I exist."

When she could feel one of his hands on her shoulder, she jumped to her feet. She moved off of the bed so fast she stumbled and landed on her knees. Marianne quickly turned around, and held out the device to him in one hand for him to see the text her thinking would produce. **_DON’T TOUCH ME!_** More tears spilled as she felt the mucus from her nose stop just above her upper lip.

"Mari, no matter how much I _scare_ you, this needs to happen. It’s not getting any better, out there. Why can’t you understand that?" Light stood up. Through her blurry vision, she saw him gesture in a wave towards the window. "You hate murderers, right? You hate the _rotten_ things people do to each other. So do I. I value life too, the lives of good and virtuous people. I’m only trying to make that happen."

She shook her head at him so fast as she still held the device out to him. She could feel her own inner voice build up to screaming at him on the inside as the digital limb had them spill out so fast. _You stubborn... No matter how clean you make it look, murder is still **MESSY!** And that’s the TRUTH! **LIES!** **DEATH!** **LIES!** **DEATH!** **SCHEME, SCHEME, SCHEME OUT SOME MORE OF THAT! HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT SOME OF YOUR TARGETS DO? HONESTLY! IS THIS REALLY SOMETHING A WORLD WOULD REALLY NEED FROM YOU?**_

Light at first looked so startled, for that instant. Her frantic voiceless way of getting the truth out struck him so hard. It was like a very hard slap to his face. Marianne could see that in his expression, for a split second until it changed to something very dangerous.

As he was moving off the bed to come at her, about to do her harm no doubt, Marianne pushed her brain to its limits to get another message sent out to him, as _FAST_ as possible. She didn't need to read the screen to hear her inside voice scream so loudly at him. **_I’M TRYING TO WARN YOU! I’M NOT TRYING TO ANTAGONIZE YOU!_**

As he crouched to the floor near her, he stopped. His face was about a foot above hers as she trembled so much. _Don’t. Please don’t hurt me._

Light stared down at her, and then let out a soft bitter laugh. " _Warn_ me? Really? You truly want to _save_ me?"

That was when she realized that he probably wasn’t going to listen to reason. A thought she hadn’t planned on sharing had escaped. _No, I HAVE TO KEEP TRYING!_ Right now, she didn’t care if he read that on the device as she looked up at him, desperate. She made sure Light could still see all the text on the blue screen. **_YES!_** _I want to save you. I want to save the BOTH OF US! **STOP** and **THINK** about what I’m saying for a second, damn it..._

Marianne was starting to wear out as she was on her back on the carpeted floor. She couldn’t take anymore of this! It seemed as if she was about to either lose control, or pass out. A sharp pain was felt in her side, from when Light had knocked her hard onto the kitchen floor.

The intense surge of negative energy, all that anger and fear that built up inside from the very beginning, wasn’t something she used to having for a really long periods of time. She was a positive person. She lived a laid back life. She lived in a safe suburban neighborhood with a very low crime rate. There weren't any mass murderers to worry about. For over a decade, she’s never experienced a lot of stress. Her parents had been married for over twenty-five years. There hadn’t been any stressful to the point of having to fight, swear, and beg for her life.

Why couldn’t Light _wake up_ and see the damage he was causing?! Did the power of the nasty murder notebook truly hold and bear itself so heavily in his mind?!

He kept looking down on her, speaking almost in monotone. "You want me to destroy the Death Note. No, you’re begging me to."

Marianne slowly nodded up at him, her eyes indeed pleading. She wasn’t so confident on her voice returning to her, so she trusted herself not to think the wrong thing as she still held onto the advanced telepathic texting machine. It was something that would have had to come so far ahead of her own time.

Although, before she could get another thought out to him, he took the device on of her hand. He held onto it as he looked to her seriously, from where he sat on the carpeted floor beside her. His voice came out quiet. "I can’t do that."

Marianne didn’t think it would be possible to widen her eyes any further than she already had. _No, please don’t say that. Please, you CAN'T! **HOW** am I **not making SENSE** to you?!_ She tried to test her voice. It came out so quiet, weak, and shaky. "L-Light. It’s not too late..."

Light didn’t let her finish what she was trying to say. "To stop _now_ would mean it’s all been a waste of time using it to make everything right. People are getting colder and more brutal towards each other, everyday. The people who do their bad deeds to stop others from living happy and secure lives won’t stop. I know killing is _wrong_ , but that’s just what the bad guys need to see, right? The fact that people are killing and hurting each other is _wrong_... It’s all for a good cause, you see. I can’t let anyone--not even the gods--convince me otherwise."

As she shakily inhaled and shivered, Light added, "I know; you’d want to ask why. Why should it be my burden to do this? I’m only one person, and the notebook is evil. Yes, I know that. You believe it will corrode my soul further. You’re so certain it will." He broke off eye contact. "Maybe you're right. I wonder how much you really know--not that I believe I could ever rely on you." He looked back to her. "There's no one else who can do it. The Death Note is the one opportunity to make this world so much better than it already is. Nothing else _will_."

He had given up hope. He didn't believe people could change all by themselves. It was both so sad and scary for Marianne to hear. There were no words she could say that would get him to rethink anything. The Death Note had him! As difficult as it was to believe, it _did_!

_It has him. Oh shit, he's lost it. **Really** lost it. He's... Ryuk will come and watch the murder games as they happen, and kill Light once it’s over. I will be dragged along as it happens until Light finds a way to..._

Was there really **_NO WAY OUT_** of this?!

Marianne found herself unable to move, or even breathe much.

"There won’t ever be world peace, or any solutions to the problems if I destroy the Death Note. The new world must come, Mari, and I have found purpose to be its god for it, to guide it along," Light ego-stroked. "I’ll see this through. It _will_ happen... I've been thinking about it for a while, and you're the first I've ever admitted this to. Hopefully, not counting the Shinigami and your alien, you'll be the only one to know--as long as _nothing else_ happens." Once more, Marianne found herself making eye contact with Kira’s Dark Abyss for a gaze. She didn’t want to peer into it. She didn’t want those eyes to haunt and terrorize her again.

She didn’t want Light to be the last person she'd ever _see_.

"Maybe you should think about what _I'm_ saying. Do you seriously believe the human race will ever improve, and _treat each other better_? This question may apply to your own world, too... If they're so similar, I wonder if the very same wars and most memorable crimes have happened in yours. Is the law just as imperfect there? I'm sure you're bothered by all of that too, not just by my actions alone."

Marianne couldn't get herself to say anything or do anything but stare up at him, paralyzed in terror.

His hand felt almost _ice cold_ on her cheek as he thumbed away one of her tears. "There are people who wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of you, looking like that. They wouldn't care about how you feel, no matter how much you'd reason or beg them to stop. They would show you no mercy. None. It's something that must go away. For _good_. Not everyone's had it lucky like you, to live someplace without having to lock their doors and windows at night..."

Light was just getting too damn close for comfort, almost to the point where his presence and what he stood for threatened to suffocate her. Moving his hand away, she began to sit up, and try to scoot away from _Kira_. She didn't _want_ him **_touching_** her, not anymore. He _HURT HER_ not long ago! ****He would have hurt her ** _AGAIN_** if she didn't have to drain so much energy out of herself to prevent him from doing that!

This young man, this high school student--was so dangerous, and _CRAZY_! _DELUSIONAL_! He was _SO, SO SCARY_! She **_DIDN'T_** **_WANT_** to hang around him!

She wanted so badly to run far, far away from this _lunatic_. How could a world be _TRULY_ healed with **_MURDER_**?! How could such a thing be done by someone without any of _their_ murders causing a negative reaction?! He seriously thought he could do horrible deeds to horrible people for the greater good. The very presence of him, who strongly believed in such logic, terrified her to no end. She would never agree to that logic **_AT ALL_**!

A cautious little thought reminded her, _If I try to run though, he’ll hurt me so bad..._

"Unlike _them_ , I can be merciful, Mari." Light rose a brow as he watched her scooting and inching backwards, away from him. "Where do you think you'll go, anyway? All you have are those night clothes you're wearing. You'll get sick, and probably freeze to death outside if you leave." There was something in his eyes that hinted, _Unless you really **want** to... _

Marianne stopped moving, knowing he had a point. The darkness in his eyes was something that bothered her, and another part to her decided she wasn't going to give him _any_ satisfaction by willingly killing herself.

No matter what available angle there was to view this from, it was useless to try to get up, and run past him. She tried all she ever could to get away only to fail _miserably_. Light had her trapped, and he was going to have his way. He was going to keep her around him whether she liked it or not--or she would die, right now, right this very _instant_.

_I want to go home. Can't I go **home**?! _ Why? _Why?!_ Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't she just go back home?! She was sobbing, feeling so damn afraid of him.

"You'll need my help right now. We're going to have to help _each other_ out. We're in this mess together, aren't we?" Light said this quietly, with hardly any anger present this time. "I know you're not a bad person. That's pitifully obvious. You don't really want to harm anybody," Light continued. "I'd prefer that we stop fighting. It's pointless... There are still some things I'd like to know from you. The warning about Ryuk is something to keep in mind, and I'm sure you might tell me more later." He held up the texting device, and glanced at it. "Also, this could prove useful...

"In return, I'll offer to do what I can to have Ryuk and the other to be focused more on _myself_ than you. I'll help you however I _can_ to lessen your suffering." His expression then shifted to a look that made Marianne think twice about what he was aiming to do. She thought he was trying to win her over by a convincing performance by saying false apologies, and promising to not hurt her, ever again.

No, he actually didn't go there,to her relief. (He would have angered her a _lot_ if he did. She might have muttered a smartass remark about not winning an Oscar.) He was giving her a final warning, actually. "I'll say this one last time; stay out of my way. Those who do... Those who think what I do is _evil_ when it's _not_ try all they can to stop me--are people I'll have to consider as truly evil."

Marianne turned her head to the right to look away, already knowing that. She didn't say anything. No, she wasn't like L, Mello, or Near. She couldn't plan very ahead like them, or the crazy kid who was threatening her. She didn't even have their resources! She already tried all she could to get through to the _maniac_ , and failed. Her wits and blunt honesty could not reach him--so she just sat there, crying and sniffling softly.

"If you drastically try to change things around from what you remember, who knows _what_ could happen. You already tried to do that once by attempting to destroy the _Death Note_ , and look where that got you. I don't believe I want to find out what the consequences might be if you try anything like that again. I'm sure you don't either." A hint of irritation over her attempt to burn the notebook was back as he moved around so he could look at her in the face. "So, with that said; are we going to have any more problems?"

Marianne didn't want to die. No, _definitely_ not, most especially not now. In what remained of her thinking, she knew that it might be some time until she would figure out a way to reach L, or _something_. As much as she _hated_ and absolutely **_dreaded_** it, there was no other way to stay alive. She would _have_ to surrender, for now.

The answer she gave slid out in a choked whisper. "...No." Just like that, she gave in. Every bit of fight she had against him left on that delivery of that one little word--and what a horrible feeling that was! _Oh god, oh **god**..._ She couldn't stop crying.

Light—no, Kira. Light Yagami was just a mask now. Who he once was had become a mask of the innocent ace student both of his parents were proud of was only there to fool anyone else that didn’t already know the truth, or wouldn’t be able to find out—unless they were smart as L, Near, and Mello. Kira was moving in and taking control, as he gave a curt nod that silently stated, _Good._ He started to relax a little. From his reaction, Marianne figured that he didn't want to have her dead right this instant either. No, of course not; it would have been a major inconvenience for him to have her killed now. He would have had to really wrack his brains to figure out how to get rid of her, and that would require him to improvise without a plan. That would have really, _really_ irritated him. In knowing Light— _Kira_ ( ** _Kira_** , damn it), she knew he wanted no stone left unturned. He didn't want to leave any room for mistakes, no matter how small. He didn't want to overlook anything and end up wondering if there was any interesting information she hadn't told him.

A tight knot was felt in her gut at the thought of herself proving to be _very_ useful to him. No, she wouldn't want to help him rule the world. She didn't want to help him find a way to kill her _either_. _Hell. **No.**_

Just as she fully resented those options, something Kira had mentioned earlier popped up in her head again. The notion of the Creep from Beyond sending along anybody else his way was _insane_. That was still something Marianne couldn't _begin_ to wrap her mind around! No, she was terrified enough. There was _enough_ crazy shit going on right now, and she had to worry about her own sanity the longer she would have to stay near him.

Kira offered an open palm to her. "I'll show you to where a tissue box is."

Right; she _might_ want to blow her nose, and wipe the mucus off her face. Also, making good first impressions towards the others that lived here were important.

Marianne hesitated, looking at his hand before taking it with caution. Clearly, he was offering to help her stand up. She still didn't _want_ to touch him--nor let him touch her--but at the same time she didn't think he was going to let her object this time. The overall energy to resist and try and get away alive was all but used up anyway. The rest had to be reserved; to follow his lead, and let him introduce her to his family. **_Augh._** She didn't want to lie about any of this to them, but she firmly reminded herself that she wasn't the only hostage in this house. What set her apart from his parents and sister was the fact that _Kira-Warden_ would feel he must have her within his line of sight _often_.

He took her other hand as he helped her stand on her two legs that wobbled a little. Kira held onto her hands and wrists, and waited as Marianne managed to steady herself. Then he released her.

"The bathroom is across the hall," Kira informed in calm voice.

Marianne felt herself nod to him in a jerky head movement, and then turned towards the door of the bedroom they stood in. She knew better than to run--for she pictured him grabbing her arm very firmly and hissing at her _not to_. In wanting to avoid any scenario in which he would hurt her, she walked over to the door, and gently turned the knob. She heard and sensed Kira following close behind. She followed his instruction without any resistance, and walked across the hall. The door was open. She felt along one wall for the light switch, and flicked it on. For a few seconds, Marianne had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust to the sudden bright light before going in.

Kira followed in right behind her and closed the door. She tried to calm down and quiet her sobs, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy over him following one step behind her, almost like a shadow... a shadow of _death_ , similar to how Ryuk would start following him-- _them_ \--around. That's right; she was certain that he was going to keep her close, as close to him as possible. He didn't trust her much at all, not that she could blame him. Marianne had gotten as far as to sneaking out of his room without making _any_ sound to wake him as she took the Death Note. That must have made him really nervous, and on edge. As often as possible, she knew Kira would her where he would easily see her and _catch_ her if she tried to run or call for help. _This_ would would continue while Ryuk shadowed the _both_ of them, watching the bitter conflict between them when no other person would be around.

If he _hadn’t_ dropped the Death Note, then there would be no Kira at all.

Light Yagami was gone, she reminded herself once more. He was lost forever in the dark abyss that was Kira, a very negative side effect of those terrifying powers of the Death Note after first testing it out. That had to be it. Otherwise, Light would have listened to Marianne to _burn_ the damn thing.

Marianne wasn’t going to end up like him though. No, she wouldn’t _allow it_. She’d cooperate with Kira for now, but there was _no fucking way_ she would succumb to him. She knew that.

It scared the hell out of her in knowing Kira was going to move in, and take over Light permanently. She would know he’d become more and _more_ insane the more he wrote names down in the notebook... _No, I don’t really need to think about that. **Shudder**._

Marianne closed the lid down on the toilet, and sat down. _This sucks, sooo bad. Damn Kira. Damn Creep from Beyond._ _Are you like what freaking **Kira-Warden** predicts? Are you **buddies** with Ryuk now? Are you going to show up **with him**?_ She startled herself with that thought, and felt a chill of dread on her back. _Yeah. I'm going to hate that damn day, when it happens. **However** it happens..._

She gave those unsettling thoughts a mental shove, and turned her head to watch Kira open up a wooden door to the cupboard underneath the bathroom sink. He brought out a light blue and white patterned Kleenex box, and handed it to her. She placed it in her lap, and removed the cardboard top with ease. The soft and silent consoling of tissues to her face soon commenced. She inwardly told herself to just breathe, and clean herself up. It wasn't easy, because she had the serious case of nerves with _Kira_ next to her. At least her sobs had softened. It was a start--but this was going to be one hell of a _tough_ adjustment, having her freedom pretty much taken away. Having to stay close and be obedient to **_Kira_** in Death Note Earth was something she would absolutely _never_ get used to.

From the corner of her teary eyed vision, Kira stood up after closing the cupboard door underneath the sink. "You're the sole survivor of a fire. An apartment building not far from here had burned down, that part actually being true. A man had started the fire. Everything you ever owned had been lost, and the people you stayed with--family, or room mates--died."

_Well, yeah. **That** covers everything, doesn't it? What a wonderfully tragic story to fool your folks with. I feel so much better, Kira._ Marianne's hesitant response came out quiet and steady enough. "...My alibi. Right?" _Ah. There you are, Voice._

Her eyes moved to focus on him. She saw the nod. "Yes, but not entirely. I saw you wandering out on the streets, scared in your pajamas. I felt sorry for you, and invited you in... We're going to get a blanket next. Then I'll make you a cup of tea. We'll have to make it look like you're getting warmed up." He blinked and looked to her in a dark and annoyed way that silently said, _Do **not** be a pain for me. Just do as I **say**._ "You're okay with tea, right? Or do you prefer coffee?"

It was, in a weird way, amusing for Kira to choose to be a little hospitable. He was playing nice now. Marianne couldn't quite bring herself to bear a grin though, because Kira-Warden was still overall in a bad mood that could possibly worsen again if she said or did anything he didn't like at all. She told him a quiet, simple, and honest answer. "I'm not a coffee drinker. Tea is fine."

_What? No **hot chocolate** , with mini marshmallows? You'd make a terrible host to Mello._ Marianne easily kept that snarky comment to herself. No, she didn't want to have anything leading up to getting herself hurt. An unmistakable _break_ from the terror was available now, and she was going to take it. She would sip her warm tea while sitting down, wrapped up in a cozy blanket. She would calm down, and not complain. After all, she had let him know that there wouldn't really be any resistance from her. If Kira started to suspect her of going back on her word, then she would _die_. There would be no hopes or chances of contacting L whatsoever. Obviously, she wouldn’t be able to do anything when **_dead_** _._

"Come on then." Kira opened the door, and stood aside. He wanted her to leave first. He didn't _trust_ Marianne to be behind him... or maybe he was just trying to be nice.

No, he still wanted her to move around in front of him. Marianne was sure of this.

Whatever, that didn't really matter to her. For now, she would do as she was told. She would do so once Kira introduced her to Soichiro, Sachiko, and Sayu.

She dropped the two clumps of mucus stained tissue into the trash bin, and then left the toilet as it originally been before taking the tissue box with her out of the bathroom. There would surely be a later time in which she'd start bawling her eyes out. Marianne had the feeling she would be crying, either a little or a lot, every day.

During her whole time in this reality, she knew she’d dread the horrible times she would have near Kira. She missed her home world so much already. She missed all her friends and family, among a bunch of other things she could name—the boardgame meetups, good prime time TV, her job at her bookstore... Did Kira even _care_? No, she didn’t believe that, because he _did_ corner her into a deal that mainly suited **_him_**. He claimed and threatened her about holding her life in his hands, and he had been rather cocky about that. _But... that was before he realized I wasn’t going to use the Death Note for anything at **all**. Right? Would he see me a little differently now?_

Her sobs had altogether faded away as Kira directed her with a calm voice towards a hall closet. A very big plaid blanket had been given to her to carry. It wasn't heavy as all, and the cloth was smoothly soft to touch as she tucked it in as a bundle under her arm as Kira told her to turn around and go down the hall towards the stairs. "We’re going to the kitchen," he added, from behind her.

On the way to the stairs, they stopped by what used to be Light's bedroom. It was Kira's now; a place where he slept, did homework, plotted, and killed criminals. He opened the door and lightly tossed the telepathic texting device onto his bed. Marianne stayed nearby, and tried to a suppress a shiver as she pictured herself having not so fun times sitting on the edge of his bed or in the black chair by his desk in the very near future.

Due to her always having to be in front of him for the time being, there was no chance of ever getting comfortable. From being inside, it appeared to be significantly bigger than the house she lived in. Wow, just how much was Soichiro’s salary anyway? Everything was so spotless, too. The Yagamis, or at least Kira and one other family, were neat freaks. Maybe it was some sort of obsessive compulsive disorder type of thing. Anyway, if any of the neat freaks of the family ever saw what the inside of her house looked like, her own room especially, then they'd _surely_ be surprised...

Marianne still felt very nervous and uneasy as she took her time going downstairs. The wood creaked places where she stepped, but Kira didn't say anything about avoiding them. He only told her where they were going, and what they would do as he kept shadowing her on the way to the room where they first saw each other.

_Creepy scary Kira-Warden_ , Marianne thought. She didn't say anything to him until they walked side by side into the kitchen--the entry way being wide enough for two people to come over at once. "What flavors of tea do you have?"

Kira blankly gave her the list. "Ginseng, jasmine, peach, and lemon." He walked to a cupboard and opened it to show her. The boxes were all in kanji print, and Marianne knew she couldn’t read Japanese writing. Kira must have assumed so, and that was why he had offered to make her tea. "The lemon juice is in the refrigerator."

She only knew some certain Japanese customs and cultures, as well as what certain words meant in English from not only anime and manga, but from video games too.

"Lemon, please." Marianne stood right be the center counter, the triangular island of wood and metal on tiled floor. She stayed put and watched Kira get a mug out from another cupboard. "Which kind do you like?"

"Ginseng," came his off-hand reply. "Why?"

"Just curious. Trying to start small talk or something, for when your dad comes down here..." _Just trying to be a good, cooperative hostage for you, Kira._ "What time do your parents get up?" She caught herself as she asked that, as she remembered once more that this wasn’t really Light Yagami, not so much the nice guy he was before he started experimenting with that nasty notebook. _Oh, god... THAT MEANS--no, this is Light’s family. Not **Kira’s**! If Light hadn’t been corrupted and if Kira hadn’t moved in, then Light wouldn’t start thinking about having to sacrifice them just to keep on making the New World... I’M REALLY THINKING THIS **THROUGH**?! **AUGH**!_

Kira turned his head to read the glowing green numbers of the digital clock on the microwave; three thirty-five AM. "My father should be up within the next twenty minutes." He looked over his shoulder, giving her a wary glance. "Of course, you can't talk to my father like you know him." He left another unsaid warning, just like from before.

_I wonder; how the hell do you **SLEEP** at night, doing this to your own family?! _ Marianne remembered how very angry and uncomfortable she made him on the mentioning of his father. _I'll bet you were real worried about your dad seeing you **pulling my frickin' hair.** Gave you quite a bit of a scare, didn't I? _

"I've got my script ready. No worries," she assured him. She kept most of the snark out of that declaration. She didn't smirk or anything. No, she only showed him a blank and tired look. "I'm sure you do too." _I'll lie **real good** for you. Don't you worry, Kira-Warden. Not that I'll **like** **it**. I just don't want Soichiro to end up dead because of me._

Kira moved over to the kitchen sink, glowering at her a bit as he did. He was filling the mug with water. "Of course... Would anything we've discussed be in yours?"

" _No_ , there wouldn't be," Marianne said. The hints of unsaid warnings and threats he wasn't really trying to hold back was starting to annoy her. "The less you push or press at me not to tell, the more I'll be good and help keep your precious dark secrets." She managed to explain this calmly to him, more or less. "For the record; I _really_ don't like having to lie to them, but it's for their protection as we agreed."

Kira finished with filling up the mug he picked out for her, and turned to face her again. A flash of a little smirk came to his lips, but it lasted for just a second. It was very much like the expression she recognized when Death Note was just a fandom. "I know that look... I still don't support you, by the way. I never will--and it's been that way since I read through the whole manga for the first time." A low level of resentment towards that egomaniac was coming back, yet she sounded very calm when talking to him.

"So, you _do_ know how my story ends. It’s just as I thought. I’m sure what you know must be a really interesting story in your world. After all, you mentioned three variations of it," Kira said. "And that's a shame, Mari. People like you are who I'm reshaping this world _for_. It's because I murder the murderers with an evil notebook that scares you so much. And, it’s because of the arrangement that’s caused you to act rebellious." There was a mixture of pride, casual, and _creepy_ coming from his tone all at once--and that freaked her out a bit. He moved to the refrigerator after placing the mug with the water into what looked like a microwave that had more of those kanji markings on it. He closed the door, with what had to be the lemon juice. He then nodded to her. "I completely understand. Having to be here is too much for you to bear. It's not like I'd ever want you to know about me. However, you do."

He said all that so effortlessly.

"Making evil going away by _doing_ evil. It's too unsettling for me to ever be okay about," she told him. Then she sighed, feeling very drained from so much emotion and scrambling in attempts to escape not too long ago. _Add this to not sleeping at all. **Ugh**... I have to be very, very careful about what I tell him. How much I tell him at a time, and how much further into the future._

Even if Kira didn’t believe all that she would say, he might still use what she knew as some form of leverage against L. No, she _needed_ L’s help. Sometime later on, she was going to figure out how to get in touch with him, _without_ Kira being around to _watch_.

"I’ve got every right to be scared, in knowing what you’re capable of. There’s no ignoring the resentment I have for you either, and that’s not going to change... I’m just a traumatized survivor of a burning building right now. If I’m to be in character, then maybe I should focus on how to do that instead of going any further into this loaded, controversial _topic_." _Because wouldn’t that be out of character? I don’t think I’d have the capacity to put that much effort into it, anyway. **Gosh** , Kira! You’ve drained me enough. I wonder when you’ll tire of having to boss me around and be Kira altogether._

After Kira had set the timer for the microwave, he moved to stand in front of where he had placed the lemon juice on the triangular center counter, right in between where Kira and Marianne stood.

He didn’t seem to like the way she was talking to him, because he told her, "True. We could go into it later... There’s time, so we could hold off on that discussion. For now." He leaned a bit forward against his side of the counter. "Although, that’s very wordy talk for a scared person to say. I thought we agreed there _weren’t_ going to be anymore problems between us, Mari..."

Marianne glowered at him. It was like he was _trying_ to get a rise out of her. Maybe that was what he wanted. _No, sorry, but I just don’t have **the energy**._ The way to go about it without Kira moving any closer to her was to state her words _as calmly as possible_. She found it impossible to _completely_ tune out her resentment though. "I won’t get in your way, and I don’t want your family in danger because of me. No problems _there_... It’ll still be hell for me though." She glowered down at the center counter. "Really hard times ahead, coming my way. This isn’t going to be any fun on my end. I’ll still be scared and miserable, even though you say you’ll try to help make my stay _less_ miserable. I can pretend not to be, around your family and anyone else. But I don’t believe we’ll ever get along when there’s no one else around."

Kira backed down a little, and remained calm—more or less. "As long as you can pretend not to be around anyone else. I realize and acknowledge your resentment, but you should have better control over that attitude of yours." His amber brown eyes became a shade darker. "Going so far as to give me _hell_ at every opportunity when it's just us? That won’t help me, or you. Bitchiness is something I won’t tolerate from you."

"I can do that if you don’t _scare_ me too much, or be so pushy. I don’t do so well under that kind of pressure." She tensed up as her level of resentment rose up to a quarter of the way from the bottom. "Since we’re going over terms and conditions of this deal, I may have a few more suggestions. I don’t want to end up snapping at you, not again. Don’t want you _hurting_ me again either. I’m sure you won’t want any of that."

Since she was going to be in his company for a while, much to her heavy dismay, she was going to have to _negotiate_ with Kira-Warden. Losing her sanity and going insane from being in captivity here was a very important concern of hers. It would have to be the same for him too. Surely, it would cause him trouble if she would start to lose it. If she gave away any serious symptoms of going into mental breakdowns or depression, then Kira would no doubt feel the need to _get_ _rid of her_ —as soon as possible.

The microwave beeped. Kira turned to retrieve the mug and place it on the counter in front of her. "Go on..." He removed the top of the lemon juice container and started to pour some of it in.

"As you know, I’m very _sensitive_. I don’t want to be in the same room you do as you write down more names..." Marianne felt herself shiver a little at that. To be in that bedroom while he was busy killing people, even though they were already bad and/or killed people, would drive her up a wall. She strongly believed she’d end up shaking, crying, or whimpering—or all of the above. Marianne believed she’d probably hear him scribbling and react like Kira killing _her_ , over and over. "That’d be torture for me... I’m sure you might get distracted and frustrated over any distressful noises I'd make if I'm there while you're doing that."

Kira’s lips pressed into the thin line at that, and then he nodded. "You could go into the spare bedroom, or wherever you want in the house when I use the Death Note. Just don’t go outside, or say things you shouldn’t to my family."

"’Kay. Fair enough." Marianne felt a twinge of relief at that. "If I need to be alone if it gets to be too much, then leave me alone. Bribe Ryuk with an apple or more, whenever necessary. Shinigami don’t necessarily need to eat. Apples to Ryuk are like what drugs and alcohol are to people... As for Creep from Beyond, if _that_ thing ever makes an appearance, we’ll figure out what to do from there."

"I think we may need to think on what to do if your Creep from Beyond shows up. Anything relating to it, we’ll need think ahead on. Agreed?"

Marianne felt a bit reluctant to nod. "Agreed... Also, I might need an outlet of some kind, just to cope with being stuck here, however _long_ I may be here. I’ve got to have _something_ to try and stay sane. Something to keep me grounded, to at least _block out_ this cruel reality temporarily." She lowered her head to think a moment, before looking back to Kira. She mentally grabbed at the first idea that came to mind. "Are there iPods or iPhones in this world? I don’t really know if there are."

"There are," he replied.

"May I have either one with headphones, please?" She frowned. "If it’s not too much out of your allowance money, that is..."

"No, it wouldn’t be." He rose a quizzical brow. "Is that supposed to be your much needed 'outlet'?"

"Yeah. It's something you could do to help make it less... _horrible_. It doesn’t matter what color it is, and it doesn’t need to be too fancy. As long as I have music, and videos. Stuff like that. Just some sense of normalcy. Surely, this doesn’t _have_ to be like a full-on prisoner and warden thing, right? I'm as new as you are at this crap situation."

"I don't think that's actually possible, no," Kira told her. "You're not a _prisoner_ , Mari. We don't need to call it that, do we?"

He looked fairly bothered by what she described the entrapment. Maybe Kira hadn’t fully moved into the vessel of Light Yagami after all. The cruel and warped person still existed though, and he did not want to let go of the murder notebook. (He just wasn't going to _LISTEN_ to her about burning it. The boy was too far gone into his self-deception in believing he could make the _perfect_ , peaceful world he’s always dreamed about.) In knowing this so well, Marianne looked at him pointedly. "I know we can't sugar-coat it. That won't work. Certainly not with me, because we both _know_ I'm not exactly a free person either. And I've never had _my_ _life_ in danger before." It was hard not to be upset about that. As she watched him slide the mug over to her, she found herself lowering her head. "There’s something very offensive about that... I hope you realize my problems are your problems too."

_It’s all a bunch of crazy shit we’re going to have to live with. Live, and **die** with. If **you think** holding me against my will is going to be for the greater good of having a peaceful world, you are dead wrong. **LITERALLY** dead wrong, since you only have five more years to live!_

The tide of bitter resentment toward Kira had risen to waist level now. Marianne’s body began to quiver a little with it. _Hey, you’re not going to burn the Death Note. You don’t even care about your own sanity! Why would you? You’re just going to do every nasty, filthy thing you can think of to get your way, to impose **your law** towards everyone else! **No matter what it takes!** _

Did he feel bothered by what he was doing to her? Did he feel any _guilt_? Did he _really_? Or was he just tired?

God, Marianne _hoped_ he felt bad about what he was doing to her. Maybe that was something to build up on. _What, is **that** what I'm supposed to do to get out of this? **Sweet talk** to him? Act like the way he does? Charm him to let me go? Deceive him like that? _ _It would mean sinking right down to his level, wouldn't it?!_ **_FUCK THAT!_** _I’m so much **better** than that. I’d rather have Kira **regret** his actions. At least it’ll be more honest... I won’t end up like him. I **won’t**. _

A little over a minute of uncomfortable silence had passed. Neither of them looked at each other, or spoke to each other for that long. Then, her captor told her, "You can bring over a chair from the dining room, if you want to. You don't have to stay standing there."

Marianne blinked to him, then glared. "Thanks..." They both did so. She brought one chair over to where her tea mug is, and Kira brought over his chair to sit across the counter from her. "How much longer until Mr. Yagami comes down?"

Kira checked the microwave clock. "Twelve minutes."

Her tea had cooled down, she figured. She first moved her chair close enough, and wrapped the blanket around herself. Then she picked up the mug by both hands, in which were trembling a little. **_Shit_** _. I better calm down. Just breathe. Stop, and breathe..._ Marianne lowered the mug back down onto the counter, and took some deep breaths as self-advised. _Slow, deep breaths..._

_I can’t just blow up. Soichiro Yagami is going to come down in **twelve freaking minutes**! I might get thrown outside if I do something like splash this tea in Kira’s face. I’ll freeze to death, like he says. **I won’t be able to contact L, if that happens.**_

_Wow, have **I** got a story to tell **him** , when I do. That is, if I don’t go bonkers by then!_

_Soichiro. I wonder if I’ll be able to save him. I don’t want him to die._

_No, I probably won’t make it that far. I probably won’t get to live long enough to meet **Misa**. But if I do, he could just tell her to kill me and Miss **Second** Kira won’t even think twice about_ \--

Marianne’s next inhale came in a bit sharper. **_NO._** _I can’t **THINK** like that. That needs to **STOP**! I’ll **DEFINITELY** be dead if I keep **that** up! ...Maybe I shouldn’t think that far ahead. Maybe I should just take it day by day, one thing at a time. Just focus on **right now.**_

Survive. I **must** survive by putting on my acting skills. I’ll **have** to do that **first** , if I want to save Soichiro, L, **Sayu** , Mello, Rem, Near, Matt, and all those others that are in danger...

"Just follow my lead," Kira suggested. He said this to her so calmly it distracted her from her thoughts. The way he talked made her want to pay attention. "Don’t be nervous. If you can’t find the right thing to tell my father, I’ll say something for you."

Marianne nodded. "I’m just aiming to keep calm. Just putting my game face on here..." After one last deep breath, she realized she no longer felt like she was going to _explode_. That was very good--very, _very_ good as she wrapped both hands around that warm mug. In picking it up, she focused on it, and _not on Kira_ as she took a sip of tea. The medium warm and slightly sweet liquid slid past her lips onto her tongue as she tasted it.

Kira asked, "How is it?"

She lowered her mug, and held it in both hands. Little to no emotion came to her voice, in a calm tone that came with the pieces of a resolve she recently gathered. "It's fine... Should we get a head start on our little play, then? Build up character?"

"Yeah, let’s do that." Just after that, the mask of Light Yagami was put on. Kira still looked just as tired, yet his emotionless look seemed to become something kinder. "So, it's just the way you like it? I hope I did a good job, Mari-san."

"Not too hot or too cold. Not too bitter or too sweet." She paused a moment to try and work on her own character. She was rather decent at improvising up something, in addition to her two years of drama class at the high school she graduated from. She was still angry at that stupid, ignorant, and hopeless fool with the god complex, so she didn’t sound exactly cheerful. She mostly sounded tired. "Just right... Heh. Goldilocks tea."

The tired yet friendly mask, Light, smiled a bit. The expression looked real enough. "You seem to be feeling better now. I'm glad."

"More or less. I’m so worn out though. All that emotion, y'know." By saying so, she expressed some honesty. "The fear especially."

"Oh, I'm sure. I can't imagine what you've must have been through..."

Marianne’s improv seemed to working. Kira seemed to think her performance was good enough. He didn't break character to tell her she was doing anything wrong. Together, they we're building up to what sounded like a normal conversation, more or less. It was all for the importance of staying alive. Never did she even have to consider to put her two years experience of high school drama class to use like this. _No choice. I either do this, or die._

Distant creaks and distant footfalls were heard as _Light_ asked, "How long has it been, since you first moved to Japan? Not that you have to answer that. I’m just wondering."

"Not long at all. A day or two," she lied to him in response. The bit of adrenaline seeping into her veins surprised her a bit—not for her nutcase captor to notice though. "Not the best life experience, being in a foreign country. The new friends I’ve made..."

"...I’m so sorry I asked." He looked so concerned and apologetic. It irked Marianne out. She knew he was faking, but _damn_ , he was really good at it. This made her wonder if _he_ ever took interest in taking a drama class at _his_ school. _Probably not... Not that he could be convinced to do so. His **ultimate goal** is his top priority._

"I’ll live. I might end up losing sleep over it, but I’ll live." She said this dully. _I intend to live. I **intend** to do that by getting the **hell** away from you. I’ll tell L everything I know. Maybe Ryuk will take your life **much sooner** than five years ahead of time. _

_Now to add in a little twist. Eat this, Kira!_ " _Dang_. You scared me so bad, when I first saw you. I thought you were a night prowler for a minute there."

Kira’s eyes sent a message to her that could have meant, _You better watch it._ Then, like flicking on a light switch—heh, stupid pun, _Light_ switch—the outer mask had returned. Light chuckled nervously. "I was lucky you didn’t hit me."

"Yeah. Good thing I didn’t scream either." She easily faked a sheepish grin, over what hidden resentment she still held. "Would have woken up the neighborhood."

An older sounding voice came from behind them. "...Light?" She got the thick Japanese accent of addressing his name. There was something else muttered in Japanese, but there were none of the terms she knew the English translation to.

Marianne put down her mug and slowly shifted herself around in her seat to see a very groggy looking Soichiro Yagami. She wouldn’t have truly recognized him if it weren’t for the glasses. His short dark hair was somewhat of a mess. He was wearing satin red pajamas and white socks as she watched him step past the door-less wide frame. He covered his mouth to suppress a yawn.

That flash of recognition and bit of excitement had left very quickly.

"Morning Dad," Light said to him, still speaking in English. He sounded tired, his smile weary.

"Oh. That’s your father, then?" She showed Soichiro her own tired smile, and curtly nodded in greeting. She wrapped the soft blanket further around her. "Morning... Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Mari Broderick. Your son invited me in."

Soichiro blinked blearily a few more times, and looked from her to who she knew wasn’t really his son anymore.

"I just found her. She had been wandering around cold and scared, in her night clothes. I couldn’t sleep for some reason, and I saw her out my window on the street. The apartment building she was staying in had burned down." She glanced to him and saw the realistic look of worry on his face. "She just told me she was the only one who made it."

Soichiro was more awake now, and looking back to Marianne. He easily bought that alibi. _Light_ wouldn’t _lie_ about such things. No, of course not, _not_ his kind and generous boy. ( _Kira_ would.) "Are you all right?" He looked shocked and concerned by the story.

"I’m okay. Drained. Maybe a little shaky still. I didn’t get burned though. It’s a miracle," she fake assured him. _I’m so sorry. I wish I could tell you. I so **badly** want to tell you, to **warn** you... but I can’t. Your son that’s not really your son anymore will kill us if I try that now. I’ll save you, Mr. Yagami. Somehow, I will save you, Sayu, and Sachiko! L, Ukita, and more people too! Even **Rem** \--someone you've yet to meet... and get a fright from, once you first see her._

"Yeah, it really is..." Light—who really wasn’t _Light_ anymore—had moved to stand next to her seat. "Do you want to tell him who you saw? You said you saw a man, running away." Marianne stiffened as her mortal enemy gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "It’s all right. I told you, my father’s a police chief and superintendent detective, you know."

"I remember." _I don’t **want** you touching me... Bastard!_

Soichiro walked over to sit down in the chair his so-called heroic son sat in earlier. "What did this man look like?"

The younger man Marianne despised moved his hand away, before she would either push it away or squirm away from him. She tried to focus more on his father, who was a more considerate and reasonable man. He was an honest cop who would _never_ become a murderer like Kira. She remembered in reading of his tragic end in volume nine of the manga, because she clearly remembered Soichiro telling Mello to surrender. _No matter how much Light inwardly yelled for his dad to kill him... No, no. Stop it. FOCUS, Marianne. FOCUS!_

Her hand ran through her hair as she slipped back into character, about as easily as Kira could. "I didn’t really see what he looked like. He was running so fast..." She worked her nearly frayed brain to conjure up an image of an arsonist who probably did not exist. "Dark hair. I believe his hair wasn’t brushed very neatly, and it was dark brown. He wore a leather coat. I couldn’t see his face."

A weight of guilt was in her chest as she felt Soichiro’s warm hand on top of hers. "How tall did he look?"

"Would you like a cup of coffee, Dad?" asked the mask Kira wore, still in the English language. It was the only language Marianne was ever fluent in.

"Yes, I would. Thank you, son," replied Soichiro. Then he turned his concerned gaze back to Marianne, who deep down was so deeply disturbed by being in the middle of what was just a kind gesture on the surface, between family members.

If she didn’t play her part correctly, then she would endanger this poor man’s life.

"Um, six foot four would be my best guess," she answered. "The maniac had to be at least that tall."

Light’s father nodded, and patted her hand in comfort. "I’m terribly sorry you had to go through that, Miss Broderick. You look exhausted... There’s a spare bedroom up the stairs, second door on the right. You should get some rest."

Tears would have come to her eyes if they weren’t tired. "I don’t think I could. I’m still restless on the inside," Marianne admitted. She glanced briefly to Kira, who was busy setting up the coffee machine. _It’s because of **him** that I feel unable to try and go back to sleep again. The guy’s a **monster**. Soichiro, if I could somehow prove it to you, without him knowing... Augh. This is so damn **depressing**._ "I might pass out in there later, thanks. My body will shut down from all the stress and lack of sleep eventually, Mr. Yagami. I’ll be fine."

No I won’t...

She almost wanted to hug Soichiro, right now. The sadness and concern he showed brought heartache. Then again, she wasn't up to breaking down into sobs all over again, even though it felt like her eyes were drying up from all the previous tears that escaped.

"Do you have any family or friends around here, Miss Broderick? Is there anyone I can help you contact."

Marianne sadly shook her head. "There’s no one. My parents who lived in America have both passed on. I don’t have any relatives, none I would want to be around. My uncle has issues I can’t help him with. And those people I shared an apartment with..." She picked two random first names of anime charaters that came to mind. "Haruka and Kurama; they’ve been the closest friends I’ve ever had."

_Is my story good enough for you, Kira? Are you happy about this? **Are you enjoying any of this?**_ _You make me **sick.**_

"Dad, can’t she stay here? It doesn’t seem like she has anywhere else to go," Light empathized. "She doesn’t have any change of clothes, or money."

There was so much unspoken warmth and sympathy coming from Soichiro right then. She couldn’t bear to look at him now. "Of course. It would be inconsiderate not to welcome her in. We both know your mother wouldn’t allow that."

"Thank you," Marianne said. She was thankful to only Soichiro and the rest of the family alone. She _wasn’t_ thankful _at all_ to Kira who saw her as a _nuisance_ , unwanted company.

"What sort of issues does your uncle have? Why do you not want to stay with him?"

"He’s a drug addict," she was quick to lie about. All she did was pull lies out of her ass, based from real people she knew who had problems. Of course she felt _terrible_ about it, but there wouldn’t be saving anyone from Kira otherwise—not even herself! Right now, she had to prove her worth to Kira to _survive_. As awful as it was, the other option she saw was much worse. "He’s done some crazy stuff like borrow a neighbor’s car without asking to go on a road trip, and pawn off their guitar for money. He’s been in and out of jail before, too. The guy can hardly take care of himself..." Marianne took in a cue to breathe out a sigh. "I tried to help him before, as well as my mom and dad had—but I can’t really trust him, let alone count on him. Not until he gets serious about changing for the better."

The story about her "uncle" was really referring two young friends of the family who were reckless and did things that were dumb. They weren’t exactly the most considerate people, but they were still nice. They liked playing the collection of board games back home.

"I’m sorry to hear that, Mari-san," Outer Mask Light apologized. He may have said that, and sounded like he was genuinely sorry for her—but they both knew he really _wasn’t_. She watched as he brought Soichiro a mug of coffee. Marianne avoided looking at him as she sipped her tea. "Is that why you moved to Japan? To get away from him?"

"That’s one reason, yeah," she replied. "I’ve also been curious about this country, to see what it’s like. Sure, there’s other places to start anew, but Japan was the first that came to mind, and it’s just about as far from the States as it gets... The only thing most worthwhile about being in Maryland was running my own bookshop. Once I learn to read kanji, I guess I could always find a place to start my business back up again."

All the talking, the lying, put a somewhat of a strain on her energy levels. _I’m so **draaained**. Damn you, Kira. Damn you, Creep from Beyond. You’re both to blame for it all... _

Soichiro was listening in earnest while he drank the coffee his so-called saint of an only son had brewed for him. "I see. Well, I hope the best for you, Miss Broderick. Both of us do... Unlike your sorry excuse for a relative, no offense, you seem like a very nice girl."

"I like to think so, and no offense taken." One corner of her mouth upturned to reveal a half wry grin. "I don’t hate my uncle. I’m just disappointed in him."

"I would feel the same if I knew someone like that," spoke her captor. "We’ll do all we can to help you feel comfortable and secure here."

Marianne grinded her jaws a little at that, but said nothing. She just focused on finishing up the rest of the tea he made for her.

"The man who killed your friends and burned down your home won’t be getting away," Soichiro promised. She inwardly moaned and felt bad about him chasing a murderer that didn’t exist as she saw the determination in his eyes. _Kira's the real murderer! **He's not your son anymore!** He's making me **lie** to you... Oh man, I wish I could send my thoughts to you and warn you that way. I know I can't with that stupid texting device, in which does **shit** for me. It's something Kira would make me use, so I won't be able to hide from him--DAMN IT!_

She could only nod to him in response. Her anxiety, despair, and guilt gripped tightly at her heart and mind.

Once Soichiro had finished his coffee, he bid his farewells to the teen he didn’t notice had changed—and herself. "Try to get some rest," he told her, placing his hand her shoulder gently before going up the stairs to get ready for a day at the NPA building. Over there, he might spend a portion of the day chasing ghosts. In predicting so, Marianne could feel her heart sinking.

Kira probably already killed the crazy guy who burned down that building by now. She wouldn't be surprised if he did--to cover up his tracks.

"That went well," Kira-Warden said. He took his seat back across the counter from Marianne. There was a hint of satisfaction coming from that remark.

_Went well for **you**_ , she sulked, staring blankly into the empty mug she drank from.

"That bit about your uncle... Is that even true?"

Slowly, her eyes drifted up from the mug to scowl at him. "It’s true about two family friends I know... Did I pass the test, then? With flying colors?" Her resentment came out half-hearted that time. It didn't matter if he could see her looking depressed or not.

"You’re welcomed in, aren’t you? You have a place to stay now... There’s still my mother inform you about. It won’t take long... After that, you could get some rest. We both know you’re going to need it."

"Go ahead; say what you want to say," Marianne responded. There was a blend of grumpiness and depression in her voice, but she didn’t really care. She just wanted some time away from the bastard right now. _Out with it. Get it over with._

Kira looked at her _very_ seriously. There was a strong You Better Pay Attention to Me vibe coming off him as he spared them both the building of suspense. "Later on today, I’m certain my mother will take you out to shop for clothes. Meanwhile, I’ll be at school... I think we know what you should do then."

"No telling your mom you’re Kira, no escaping, and ride with her back here once shopping time is all over." She sighed. "And blah, blah, blah, do that or I'll die. Got it. I don’t have the energy to argue, and I’m not stupid."

As she scowled a bit in telling Kira about this, he in return looked a bit annoyed when she said the blah’s. "I’m not implying that you are. Yet, you don’t seem to fully think things through, and you get reckless. Don't think you can back-talk your way out of this." He glared. "You might try something, out of desperation. I'm telling you not to."

  _TCH!_ "I know it will be reckless of me to flee around that time. Push, push, push, _push_." She got out of her seat and glared right back. "Back off, please. I know very well that I’m cornered and trapped. I won’t get very far." _Certainly not **NOW** , anyway!_ "I know better than to make a near-fatal mistake like the one I did last time. I don't repeat mistakes like that." _So stop. Pushing. Me. I’m angry at you enough **as it is**._

 Kira in fact _did_ back off as he replied, "I wasn’t trying to be pushy, Mari. I'm just letting you know that you won't know any answers or recieve my help if you try to escape." He slid out of his chair. "Keep that in mind."

Marianne pictured herself running around him very fast, picking up the frying pan she saw behind Kira in the sink, and whacking him on the head with it. She didn't actually try to _attack_ , knowing that would be very _dumb_. She only produced the mental image of the action. "In other words, I'm hanging on by a thread you could cut at any time. If I mess up."

"If you want to look at it that way, then yes."

She was too tired to give a damn about his egotism right now. "Is that it? Are we done, for now?"

"Almost."

This caused Marianne to roll her eyes. "Out with it then. The sooner the better."

"There's just one more thing I'm curious about..." Kira's smirk dimmed some. "Does everyone who knows about me in your world feel the same way you do?"

_Poor Kira. Poor foolish Kira, fledgling of a mass murderer. He doesn't **like** the idea of being seen as bad. Do I bother you? You **should** feel bothered. You should feel guilty, actually. You'll one day regret all the actions you've done from the day you been writing into that Death Note. You'll regret treating me like this._

"I'd say it's about fifty-fifty, Kira. Half wouldn't stand by your methods of cleansing the world, such as myself. The other half would support you all the way."

His face twitched a little in annoyance. "You do know my name is _Light_."

She deliberately ignored that remark. "One guy in a video online I saw once described you specifically as a 'tragic anti-villain'. Not that I remember all that he said... Everyone in this world who doesn't know what I know would share the same views, more or less." She looked to him in impatience. **_Now_** _are we done talking? Will you get out of my face?_

"Tragic anti-villain?" He frowned.

"You willingly sacrifice your soul and sanity to that dark power, for the sake of saving so many innocents," Marianne pointed out. "There's more than one reason why the Death Note is nasty... I think I already told you about that side effect."

Kira's eyes narrowed. "Because of what you warned me about, and all that you've explained to me about Ryuk, I might not lose myself. I won't get careless, because I know I'm worthy... If it's right to kill off pests, then what's so wrong about killing those who deserve it?"

"It's the fact you compare rats and insects to terrible human beings I find wrong. That kind of thinking is very dangerous. In the long run, you can't say I _didn't_ warn you." She turned around, and started to head for the stairs, taking her Kleenex box with her.

"What would _you_ compare the world's worst people to, if not disease spreading _vermin_?"

_Not exactly a cheerful or positive conversationalist, are you?_ "I don't. I just call them as they are; murderers, rapists, terrorists, and so on. People like that are dangerous and horrible, but I wouldn't go around thinking I'm better at doing the things they do..." She looked over her shoulder, scowling at Kira. "Not that you'd care, but my biggest fear is turning into someone I wouldn't like." _That's what makes **YOU** so damn scary. I'm **nothing** like you, and I don't ever want to be._

He asked the following question so seriously, with a dark edge to his eyes. "If your life was in danger, and you had to defend yourself or someone you cared about by doing something bad, would you honestly be unable to do it?"

Marianne spoke her answer very quietly as they were standing by the stairs. She still scowled at the damned fool who was well on his way to becoming the kind of person he would kill. "I'd rather die as myself, because the latter would likely be worse. It would be like a slow and _agonizing_ death, or worse."

Kira's face looked so blank and observant it gave her the creeps. "The fear and guilt would pile on otherwise, causing you to want to tear yourself apart."

She refused to let him creep her out, even though that look sort of did. "Yeah. It would, and I won't deny that." She turned around, looking at the stairs that led upward. At the very end of the stairway was Kira's bedroom

There were no more words exchanged as Kira-Shadow went with her back to her prison cell, AKA spare bedroom of the Yagami residence. "Sorry, but how old did you say you were again, Mari-san?" He had slipped the mask of Light Yagami back on. He did it just in case Soichiro would be around to overhear. At the same time, Kira was probably curious in his own self interest to know her age.

"Twenty-nine," she said.

"Oh. I thought you were a bit younger than that. You look like you're twenty five."

"Compliment noted... I'm getting tired." The last sentence she hinted out to him that she wanted to be left _alone_ now.

"Yeah, you should get some sleep."

"That's right. Gotta recharge my brain batteries..."

They both caught a glimpse Soichiro in the hallway, all groomed and dressed professionally. "I might see you later on tonight. Sleep well, Miss Broderick." Then he nodded to his now imposter son. "Have a good day at school, Light."

"See you later," the younger man said.

"Good luck at work today, Mr. Yagami," Marianne told him, meaning that. Once more, she felt terrible about having to lie to him.

"Thank you," Soichiro replied, smiling. Then he proceeded to move past them.

Kira stood aside as she walked into the room he showed her that was right next to his. He kept sounding and appearing friendly as Light's father was leaving. "Is there anything I can get for you? An extra blanket, or something?"

Marianne glanced at the bed she sat on. "...Another pillow would be nice."

He soon returned with one, and handed it to her. He also had closed the door behind him. Then he spoke in monotone. "I'll purchase an iPhone for you today after school, and pay for your phone plan."

She nodded, and didn't say anything at first. She didn't even look at him as she placed the pillow from Kira on top of the one already there on the mattress. _He picks iPhone because he'll put in his cell phone number into the contacts. It'll be to his advantage later. Ugh._

Kira left shortly after saying that. She didn't look at him, but she could feel him watching her a moment longer before leaving and closing the door.

For the next few minutes she moaned, complained, and sulked to herself.

_Maaaan... I'm exhausted. Can hardly think right now. Fucking Kira. I'm **torn** right now. I want to save L, Soichiro, Rem, Mello, Matt, Raye Penber, Naomi Misora, and all the other innocents that don't deserve to die by him. Now that he's real... But at the same time I just want Creep from Beyond to douse me in brain bleach and send me the fuck **back home**. It wouldn't be a bad alternative, to be back home and not remember any of this..._

_I don't know how I'm going to get out of this. I know I need clothes, and something to try and help me cope through this living nightmare, this **hell**._

_Looks like I'm going to have to prove my worth to that asshole soon. I'll hang around Sachiko and not cause any problems. Although, I should try and **sleep**. Pssh, yeah, like that'll come easy._

_I'm so fed up with Kira. Bossy kid. **Pushy** kid. Stupid kid. **STUPID!** He’ll be sorry..._

_Augh. More scrambling to come later. Joy... I'm going to really take some time for myself later. I'm going to have to do a whole ton of careful planning, aren't I? I'm not his pawn. I'm **not** going to let him continue to boss me around like this. If I could find a way to get myself untrapped... If only his family knew what kind of horrible young man he is! If only **L KNEW**!_

_There's got to be a way out of this..._

As much as she thought, and thought, and thought--all she ever accomplished there was thinking around and round in circles of frustration, anger, and despair. As those few minutes ticked away, Marianne altogether gave out to exhaustion, and never found any way to outwit KIra. Her brain eventually sputtered to a stop as she felt her body give out and go limp into a long dreamless slumber...

At some point, she eventually did wake up. None other pushy and crazy Kira was there. " _Hehmn_ ," she groaned to him. "What do you want?" No, she wasn't in the mood to be answering any questions Kira-Inquisitor would have. "Don't tell me you've been watching me sleep." _Because that's **totally** not creepy, _ a sarcastic thought followed.

"No. I of course had more important things to do." He looked bored with her. "You've been asleep all day. I told my mother your alibi, and she felt so bad for you she didn't want to disturb you."

Marianne blinked open her blue-green eyes, suddenly wide awake now. She moved to sit up on the bed’s mattress, shocked. "Holy crap. All freakin' _day_?"

"Well, most of today. It's early evening now." Her captor had lowered himself to her eye level. "I was about to wake you."

"Maybe it's because last night had been too much..." Her taken back expression shifted to a mild glower.

"I believe it was too much for the both of us," Kira replied. He sighed, and held up a small black plastic bag. "I have your iPhone, with headphones just as you had requested." He got out a cream-white colored iPhone with matching ear buds and a little dark AC adapter. He removed them out of the bag and dropped them onto her lap.

"This should hopefully be somewhat of a help for the both of us," Marianne said. "A temporal escape from all too _painful_ reality, if nothing more."

"That's not the only thing that should help," he said. Apparently, he had something else to get out of the bag; a pair of silvery gray handcuffs. "Well, it's something to help put my mind at ease, anyway. When I go to sleep at night."

For a second, her eyes went wide, and then narrowed at him immediately after. "What the _hell_? Is this supposed to be some kind of kink thing?" Just as she finished asking, she grimaced then squirmed. To even think of that _horrible_ , horrible Kira and herself getting into anything like... _Ewww!_

What Kira did in reaction was show her a scowl. His tone of disgust had just about matched hers. "Not at all. You know me better than that." It felt like his sour expression was burning through her. "Get your head out of the gutter. I'd never get into anything so animalistic and perverted, not towards anyone. Especially not towards you."

"Then what are those **_for_** , Kira?" She couldn't help but feel so suspicious at him. This seriously wasn't looking good on her end.

"To prevent you from sneaking around at night," he said. "I _really_ don't want a repeat of what happened last night. I still don't trust you, so whenever you go to sleep--I'm going to have to cuff you to this bed. Understand?"

This got her mad and seething at him."Oh _please_. I wouldn't go trying to take the Death Note again. That'd be suicidal."

"Yes it would. So would sneaking out the door, to talk to one of my parents about me in the middle of the night."

Marianne looked at him dully. " _Paranoid_ much?"

"You know I have every right to be, Mari. I'm not happy about this either, you know. But you might find a way to have my dad believe you, because you know the way I think. _That's_ dangerous, and something I cannot allow you to do... I know you wouldn't want a repeat of last night either, so this is for your own good."

The urge was strong to hit or kick him, but she managed to hold back from doing so. **_GOD_** _, you make me so mad..._ "What if I promised not to sneak out?"

"No," Kira persisted. "I can't trust your word, at least not until I _know_ you won't try to do anything behind my back. Because I _doubt_ you're going to give up fighting me or thinking up an escape plan, even when it's useless to."

All the more resentment laced into her words. "You think you got me figured out, huh?"

"Please don't argue," he warned. "This is something you're going to have to get used to for a while. The more you fight or try to talk your way out, the more nights you'll have to spend cuffed to this bed." The corners of his mouth upturned into a relaxed smirk. "Yes, I do have you figured out Mari. You're a careful and clever woman. You're also somewhat intelligent, and would try everything you can to get away. You have your own world you desperately want to find your way back to."

Marianne stared at him, both eyes wide with terror as he let go. "I understand," he continued. "It's only normal, to feel the way you do... We both know you're going to continue to feel that need to fight. It's all a part of your fight or flight instincts. But that can only go on for so long until you find yourself unable to fight anymore."

He may as well given her a sudden bitch slap to her face. _Oh, **fuck**. He's going to--to **BREAK** **ME**!_

Marianne was glaring SO hard at Kira right now, in realizing this. She hoped he could feel the fire in her eyes reaching to burn him. The adrenaline pumped her up. " ** _Not_** _cool_ , Kira. Not cool at _all_." Her voice held and contained so much rage. She hated this monster of a kid, so _very_ much. He was beginning to seem as nasty as his precious notebook itself.

"That's just the way it is," Kira said. It bothered her that he said this calmly. "You can't hold back. I can't either." He slapped one of the cuffs on her wrist.

Marianne's voice became pitchy. "H- _Hey_!"

" _Don't_ raise your voice," Kira hissed to her. "Do you _want_ my family to overhear us?"

She started to move her other free hand to shove him away, but Kira was very quick to react. With his own free hand, he clutched the side of her head and forcibly pushed it down onto the mattress.

Marianne's heart rate had accelerated to an unbelievable speed as she was trying to get up or move away, but she was unable to do so. She was unable to move his one hand away from her head. She couldn't use both arms to do that, for the one that was in a metal cuff wrapped firmly around the wrist was being pulled down. With a clink, she heard the other cuff lightly bang up against one of the poles of the bed. Then she heard Kira quickly snap the remaining open cuff closed around it.

Panic welled up into her chest as she felt it tighten. Her heart was pounding away.

"If we're going to _help_ one another, then we're going to have to build a bridge of trust," Kira insisted. "At least a little one. Does that make sense?" He lightly stroked her hair and the side of her face for a moment, after letting go of her. "This is but a step towards that direction, Mari. If you could offer me some peace of mind by putting up with this _willingly_ , then maybe it won't have to be like this for very long."

Marianne trembled at his touch as he moved his hand away.

"Just do this for me, and I'll push on you less about it. We both don't want this, but it's necessary."

She could only manage a reply by shaky whisper. "F-Fine..." The chilling surge of fear she felt had stopped her from lashing out at the bastard. If she had done something like push him away, or punch him, then that would have pissed him off.

He sounded calm, yet very firm and cold all at once. "You're to remain here, and pretend to sleep until I come back. I promise bring you some leftover dinner soon. We'll talk more then."

"W-Where did you get those cuffs, anyway? You didn't steal them from the NPA building or other police, did you?"

He looked at her sullenly. "That's too far of a walk from school, and I'd get in a lot of trouble for that. My father would be so disappointed in me..." His expression shifted to annoyance. "You don't need to know where I bought them from."

_If they didn't come from a police department, then that means..._

There popped up sudden image of Kira inside something like that old Spencer's Gift Store Marianne's mother and herself had long ago had browsed around in, at a mall more than once in Waldorf, Maryland. That kind of shop had all sorts of unique things, some of them being erotica stuff.

All this came to mind so fast as she suddenly cracked a grin and began to sputter into snickering. She couldn't hold back, for the mental audio and visual images were irresistably funny. In knowing Kira too well, she knew he must have dreaded and loathed every moment while he was inside an erotica store. "Oh, I think I know where now," she managed to say. She found it hard to stop as she felt so suddenly amused over this.

Kira decided to try dodging the subject. He sounded annoyed. "So you do, but I'd rather not talk about it."

The snickers went away as soft giggles replaced them. "Oh, the awkward things you must have said. I can picture it..." Then part of a chorus from a Duran Duran song she knew came to mind. She softly sang it. " _I saw the bedroom toys. Now I'm stallin'. I can't believe my eyes_ -" The other part of the chorus was completely lost in the giggling. She laughed harder from within. _AHAHAHAHAHA! I wonder what **Misa** would say! Even better--I wonder what **L** would say! **HAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

Kira stood up straight, sounding more annoyed. "I'd appreciate it if you kept that to yourself."

"S-Sorry, but I needed that. I needed the laugh so bad," Marianne admitted. She settled down, her head resting back onto the two pillows she had stacked earlier. Although, the amusing thoughts and her grin didn’t leave. "Maybe being here won't _all_ horrible. Maybe I won't go insane..."

Poor embarrassed Kira--if he ever could still be truly capable of feeling embarrassment--walked toward the door, and left. Clearly, he didn't want to discuss the matter any further. He closed the door behind him, leaving Marianne as she put a bit of a new spin on those old Duran Duran lyrics in her head. She snorted and snickered to herself as she did.

_Oh my Kira, what's **this**?_

_I saw the bedroom toys. Now I'm stallin'._

_I can't believe my eyes!_

_I saw the bedroom toys. Now I'm crawlin'._

_I've learned to improvise!_

Next, she tried her best to visualize what it must have been like for Kira to check out with the cuffs. As Light Yagami, he must have shown himself to look really awkward, nervous, and embarrassed. Or all of the above! Maybe he told the clerk he was buying something for a friend who couldn't be there, or something else that might have sounded sensible to him. It made Marianne giggle for a bit.

All these musings at Kira-Warden's expense made the fact of being cuffed to this bed much less scary and upsetting. She felt quite positive about him feeling so uncomfortable in a place like Spencer's. Whenever she tried to vividly picture him that way, she couldn’t help but feel amused about it for a while.

In the very least, one could find the time to laugh or say some witty thing somewhere within all the scary dark times. _Oh, thank God. THANK YOU! My sense of humor hasn't left me, so maybe it will help save me from the worst of things to come... Yeah, I hate it so bad here--but there are still things to laugh about!_


End file.
